King Of Shinigamis
by The King of Despair
Summary: What if during the shatter shaft Ichigo instead of Zangetsu met with a certain king of knights and Tyrant king. Warning: Ichigo, Saber and Saber Alter in this story are a bit OOC and OP Ichigo it will follow the Bleach cannon [IchigoxSaberXSaber Alter] Some things in this story has been inspired by Rage Addiction senpai's story The Shinigami Huntsman.
1. King of Knights and King of Tyrants

**This my first fanfiction so I apologize for any mistakes I made.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners.**

 ** _Beta Tester:_** ** _ThunderReborn and_** ** _ekaterina016_**

 **A.N. The legend of King Arthur does not exist in this story of bleach universe so no one knows Excalibur from movies or books.**

 ** _P.S- English is not my mother tongue._**

 **"Zanpakutō speaking"**

 ** _'Zanpakutō thinking'_**

"Characters speaking"

 _'Characters thinking'_

* * *

 ** _Chapter 1: King of Knights and King of Tyrants_**

* * *

Ichigo laid unmoving in the Shattered Shaft. His arms were bound behind his back by Tessai's kidō, which Ichigo struggled to free himself from. As time progresses, he continued to get further frustrated, as his Chain of Fate continues to erode.

 _'Damn it! How can I get out of this hole if I can't even use my arms!'_ Ichigo thought. Running on the walls most certainly didn't work. Despite being known as a delinquent, with his permanent scowl and near-daily street fights, Ichigo _was_ actually very smart, ranked 23rd in his entire year at school. Ichigo looked above to see someone standing on top of the Shattered Shaft, who was a short boy with red hair. He wore a white t-shirt with an 'Urahara Shop' logo printed on the front and blue three-quarter length trousers, the bottoms of which were noticeably turned up.

Ichigo recognized the kid. His name was Jinta, the same one who taunted him while he was stuck in the Shattered Shaft. The boy jumped down in the shaft and looked at Ichigo.

"Hey, Carrot-Top," he greeted cheerfully. "Are you hungry?" He asked with a grin. "I brought you some food," Jinta taunted, as be brought out a plate of food.

Ichigo glared at the kid. "Why would I be hungry? I am in my soul form!" Ichigo yelled at Jinta.

"Good! Because feeling hungry while your Chain of Fate is severed means you are getting closer to becoming a Hollow!"

When Jinta said, those words Ichigo froze and intensely started thinking for all possibilities to get out of this place. After a while, though, Ichigo began to lose hope, and was even scared of the possibility of becoming a Hollow. He wouldn't be able to save Rukia; but more importantly, he wouldn't be able to see his family and his friends again. Ichigo remembered how his family suffered after Grand Fisher killed his mom. He didn't, and _wouldn't_ , want to image how much his family would suffer if he, too, became a Hollow.

Ichigo looked down at his Chain of Fate. It only had about a quarter of a meter left.

"I don't need it. My Chain of Fate is still long," Ichigo said, hesitant.

"I will just leave the food here... Hey, how much time do you think has passed?" Jinta asked.

"How much time has passed?" Ichigo repeated with confusion to what Jinta said.

"You have been here in this hell hole for 70 hours, it's only matter of time before you become a Hollow... Oh, and the last encroachment is _nothing_ like previous ones," Jinta said somewhat cheekily, as he jumped out of the shaft using the wall.

 _'That little runt... I have to get out of here no matter what!'_ Ichigo fiercely thought. Lost in thought, he wasn't aware his last link in his Chain of Fate just eroded away.

"AAAH!" Ichigo yelled in pain, before it was muffled by the white liquid pouring out of his mouth and eyes. "AAAH... GAAA!" The white liquid started to form a mask on his face.

"So… he _is_ turning into a Hollow," Jinta said, as he looked down in the Shattered Shaft. Ururu followed Jinta towards the edge and looked down at the struggling Ichigo. The kind girl was about to jump down to help, before Urahara grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" Urahara ordered.

"B-But if I don't do anything, h-he will become a Hollow!" Ururu protested.

"Watch him closely. Normally, when a soul transforms into a Hollow, the soul explodes and the body reforms. If you look at Ichigo, the mask began to form first. This means… he still has a chance of become a Shinigami," Urahara explained.

"OK," Ururu said, pursing her lips in frustration, as she backed away from the edge.

"Let's just wait a little," Urahara said as he observed Ichigo.

" _Come on, Ichigo...! I really don't want to tell Isshin his son transformed into a Hollow…!"_ Urahara thought.

As Ichigo kept screaming, the mask forming in his face was finally complete, blinding him in darkness.

* * *

 **Mindscape**

Ichigo felt he was floating.

 **"Wake up, Master,"** A gentle girl's voice called out to him.

 **"Open your eyes,"** Another girl's voice called out to him, though this one was stricter than the previous one.

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly and pulled himself up. He could see the ground in front of him split into two sides. However, that's the last of his concerns – Ichigo swore he would never forget what he saw in front of him. Standing there were two of the most beautiful girls he ever saw, twins in facial features, standing side-by-side on the other side of the rift. On his left, there stood a young woman with a slender physique, soft light skin, golden hair which was tied in a neat bun with a blue ribbon. She had green eyes and was dressed in a beautiful blue dress. **(1)**

Behind her, Ichigo could see a beautiful scene full of vibrant life. All around them, Ichigo could see a forest full of wildlife, blooming just there. Ichigo could see all kind of magical creatures slowly moving to and from between the forest and a nearby lake.

On his right stood her twin, though considerably paler in both skin tone and hair color than her sister. It was also tied in a bun like her sister's. But unlike her sister, her eyes were yellow. **(2)**

However, instead of the first one's vibrant background, this one was dressed in all black, with a matching scenery behind her. Eerie, and devoid of any wildlife, the trees Ichigo could see were blackened and dead. The creatures he could make out were fighting for dominance.

Ichigo didn't know why, but their very presence reminded him of a king, despite their polarizing appearances.

' _They are so beautiful...'_ he thought, as he kept staring at them without even realizing.

 **"See something you like**?" The girl in the black dress teased.

"Whaa-! N-No, I w-was not staring at you two…! I-it's just t-that I… AAH!" Ichigo stuttered, blushing in embarrassment. He looked down, trying to hide his red face from these beautiful girls.

" **███████. Now is not the time for this."** The girl in blue said, annoyed with her counterpart.

 **"Be quiet, ███████. You're just jealous he was looking at me more than you,"** The girl in the black dress spat back as she crossed her arms.

 **"No, you are mistaken. He was looking at _me_ more rather than you,"** The girl in the blue dress insisted strongly.

"Who are you two, and what is this place?" Ichigo finally was sane enough to ask. His red face managed to calm down.

The girl in the blue dress turned back to Ichigo. , **"You should be able to tell what this place is, and who we are, better than anyone,"** The girl in blue answered.

"If I knew, then why I would ask you?" Ichigo said, slightly annoyed at the wordplay.

 **"Well, if you can't, then I can tell you _everything_ … especially about me,"** the girl in the black dress sultrily replied as she licked her middle finger seductively.

Ichigo's entire face became red; thus, he smacked his face a few times to calm down and tried to think who these girls actually were from the clues they'd given. _'Do I know them? For some reason… I feel like I **should** know them. But I don't think I have ever met them,'_ Ichigo thought. "J-Just tell me what this place is, and who you two are!" He asked again.

 **"It's not a sin to try,"** The girl in the black dress said.

 **"Our name is ██████████████,"** they said together.

Ichigo looked confused, as the words he wanted to hear the most failed to reach his ears.

 **"You can't hear it, can you?** "The girl in the blue dress asked, disappointed.

 **"Well, you may be able to hear our names soon, if you can find your Shinigami powers before becoming a Hollow,"** the girl in the black dress said, as the mindscape began to violently shake.

"NOOOO!" Ichigo screamed. "I can't turn into a Hollow! I still have to save Rukia and I can't leave my family!" Ichigo said, as he began to panic.

 **"Well, if you don't want to turn into a Hollow, all you have to do is find your Shinigami powers, no?"** The girl in the blue dress suggested calmly.

"But I thought Byakuya destroyed my Shinigami powers…?!"

 **"What he destroyed was the power you got from that midget,"** the girl in the black dress said.

 **"But what he _didn't_ know was that you possess your own Shinigami powers from the beginning,"** the girl in blue explained.

 _'I possessed my own powers…?'_ Ichigo thought, surprised.

The ground shook more violently. The sky started to split apart, and all the creatures started to run away, some even already perishing into nothingness.

 **"You have to hurry, before you turn into a Hollow…!"** The girl in the blue dress warned.

Panicking, Ichigo ran everywhere like a headless chicken, trying to find where his Shinigami powers could be.

 _'Where can my powers be, where can it be… Wait a sec!'_ Ichigo stopped running as he remembered something Uryū told him.

* * *

 _"Did you know a Shinigami's soul ribbon is red?"_ _Uryū asked, as he held Ichigo's red ribbon._

* * *

' _Well, it is worth a shot!'_ Ichigo thought as he closed his eyes. In his focused state of mind, numerous spirit ribbons showcased themselves, though mostly white. A glimpse of red someway away was all it took for him to desperately run towards it, arm outstretched. Ichigo was in the middle of the two contrasting sides, running past the forests. He finally arrived at a clearing to see the red ribbon was connected to a rusty sword, stuck in the middle of a nondescript stone. Ichigo immediately grabbed the sword's handle.

 **"You've finally found it! Now, pull it quickly!"** The girl in the blue dress instructed.

Ichigo took a deep breath as he tried to pull the sword up, but it wouldn't move.

 **"Use some backbone into it! Can't you even pull a flimsy sword like this?"** The girl in the black dress complained.

"I am trying… but it's stuck!" He groaned as he continued to pull the sword. Slowly, though, the sword began to loosen. ' _Almost there…!'_ Ichigo thought.

With one last heave, Ichigo managed to pull the sword out of the stone, pointing the rusty sword in the sky in satisfaction.

 **"Well, since you did it, you will be able to hear our names now… Or will you really?"** The girl in the blue dress guessed.

"Just who are you two anyway?" Ichigo asked.

 **"If you still haven't figured that out, then you are the biggest idiot of all time!"** The girl in the black dress said.

Ichigo merely stood there for a few seconds as he remembered something Renji told him.

* * *

" _What's the name of your Zanpakutō?" Renji asked him._

" _Huh? Name?" Ichigo questioned._

" _I knew it! You don't even know your Zanpakutō's name! And you think you can fight me as an equal!?" Renji asked as he placed his hand near the bronze tsuba. "Well, it's 2000 years too soon!" Renji yelled as he swiped his blade, from guard to tip._

 _"Roar, Zabimaru!"_

* * *

 _'Why would they have?...because they are alive. That is why.'_

Ichigo turned to look at the twins. "You two are my Zanpakutōs, aren't you?" Ichigo guessed.

 **"You finally figured it out…"** The girl in the black dress replied, mentally exhausted. **"As soon as you leave, ask that sorry excuse of a shopkeeper for two Asauchis."**

"What is an 'Asauchi'?"

" **Asauchis are specially made katanas which allows Zanpakutō to fully form."**

"Don't I already have one?"

" **No. That sword is not an Asauchi. It was created by _her_ using your Quincy powers,"** the girl in the black dress said.

"Wait… I have Quincy powers…?"

" **And Hollow powers too!"** The girl in the blue dress added.

"WHAT!"

" **From what we can figure out, you're a hybrid of Shinigami, Quincy and Hollow. We're unsure how it happened, but we believe your father is a Shinigami and your mother was a Quincy,"** the girl in the blue dress guessed.

"How did I get the Hollow portion, then?"

" **It could have been when you were still in your mother's womb,"**

"I see…"

" **Please don't reject your Hollow powers. Even if you don't like it, she is a part of you,"** the girl in the blue dress warned.

"Jeez, it's not like I was just going to fight or kill her. So what if she is a Hollow? She is still a part of me, so I will accept her no matter what," Ichigo declared. The girl in the black dress smiled warmly, hearing her Master said that. She was a bit scared he would cast her aside – or worse, try to kill her.

"But to think that Goat-Chin is a Shinigami and Mom was a Quincy with a Hollow part in her…" Ichigo muttered.

 **"Why don't you talk to your father about it?"** The girl in the black dress asked.

"There must be a serious reason why he is keeping me in the dark, if he's aware of what is going on," Ichigo replied.

 **"Well, I think you should go now and ask for Asauchis from Urahara,"** the girl in the blue dress said.

* * *

 **Urahara's Underground Training Chamber**

Ichigo opened his eyes to see he was still in the Shattered Shafted, but trapped in an even more complicated kidō. Ichigo turned to see Tessai was also down here, straining to contain him.

"Can you let me go now?" Ichigo asked, annoyed with the further restraints on him.

Tessai looked up. "Boss! It seems Kurosaki-san is finished. Should I let him go?" He asked.

"Did you say something?" Urahara asked.

"Yes, sir. Kurosaki-san seems to be finished, and wished to be let go. I'm just checking with you to see if he is telling the truth," Tessai replied.

"Let him go," Urahara said while hiding his face behind his paper fan.

With the okay, Tessai released the Kidō, freeing Ichigo. Ichigo stretched his arms to get rid of the soreness, before it turned into a full-body one. A satisfactory series of snaps and cracks from his body relieved him, before his face turned into an annoyed expression. He looks over at Tessai.

"Why the hell did you add more kidō to the bindings?!" Ichigo asked angrily.

To that, Tessai replied in a calm deep voice. "You were beginning to Hollowify," the older man said. "The boss instructed me to restrain you with kidō. I placed the first part of Bakudō no. 99 on you, but it wasn't enough. You started to break through it. The boss has even gotten out his sword just in case you break out. I was about to add the other part of Bakudō no. 99 on you, but the mask shattered, and you came back."

It sounded reasonably enough. Ichigo accepted Tessai's reasoning. With a grunt, help Ichigo jumped clear out of the shaft where he was greeted by Urahara, Jinta, and Ururu.

"Hey, Urahara, my Zanpakutōs told me to ask you for two Asauchis," Ichigo said.

Urahara's eyes widened upon hearing Ichigo's request. "Two Asauchis... Are you saying you have more than one Zanpakutō?" He asked, curious.

"Yeah, I have two Zanpakutōs. Is it weird?" Ichigo asked. _'Is it because of my hybrid nature?'_

"You see… dual wielders are extremely rare. In the Gotei 13's entire existence, there has been only _two_ dual-wielders," Urahara said, shocking Ichigo. Turning to Tessai, the hat-clad man ordered, "Tessai, two Asauchis for him, please."

"Of course," Tessai said before he disappeared, leaving Ichigo, Jinta, Ururu, and Urahara alone.

The young boy was nervously watching Ichigo, now that they're in close proximity and there's no binding restraining the orange-haired tall man. Before Jinta could move, Ichigo wrapped him in a headlock with his left hand.

"Hey, Jinta, remember all that teasing?" Ichigo vengefully asked, already grinding his right knuckle into Jinta's head.

"No no no!" Jinta struggled, as Ichigo began to dig them deeper into Jinta's head, rubbing it in every direction.

Ichigo turned to Ururu who was observing all of this.

"Do you want to join in?" Ichigo offered.

Ururu nodded saintly as she approached them.

"NO NO NO!" Jinta yelled, as Ururu began to tickle the young boy, and Ichigo resumed his drilling. It took Tessai two minutes to return with two plain-looking katanas inside their sheathes, and for Jinta, those two long, big minutes equated to hell on earth.

"Here you go, Kurosaki-san," Tessai said, as he handed the two Asauchis to Ichigo.

 ** _"Sit down in a meditative position, and place those Asauchis on your lap,"_** the girl in the blue dress spoke into his head.

Ichigo snapped his head, looking everywhere trying to find her.

' _He is already able to mentally communicate with his Zanpakutōs,'_ Urahara thought.

 ** _"We are in your mind, dummy! Stop searching for us outside!"_** The girl in the black dress exclaimed.

 _"You mean… you two can speak in my mind even if I am in the outside world…?"_ Ichigo mentally asked.

 ** _"Yes, Zanpakutō spirit are able to talk to their wielders like this. Now sit down!"_** The girl in the blue dress ordered.

Ichigo sat down as instructed. " _What's the next step?"_

 ** _"I want you to slowly pour your Reiatsu into the Asauchis."_**

Doing exactly as he was asked; it took a few seconds to complete. ** _"Okay, it is finished,"_** the girl in the black dress informed.

When Ichigo opened his eyes he looked at his transformed Asauchi. One of them had become a ghost white daitō. At base of the hilt, there is a short length of chain with a broken link at the end. Its other twin, going by the sisters' color scheme, was predictably solid black. **(3)**

When he stood up, admiring the changes, he noticed the two sheathes had been coloured accordingly, too, dangling at each side of his waist.

He looked at his right side to see Urahara was watching him. "So, Urahara, what's next?"

Urahara simply grinned. "I'm glad you asked. Your third task is to knock this hat off my head."

"That's it?" Ichigo asked. "I can do it in three minutes,"

"That's the spirit, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara happily said, " But if you don't take this seriously, _I will kill you_." With that said, he held up his cane and pulled it apart to reveal a blade. "Here I come!"

With that, they charged towards each other.

 _'I don't have to worry about his sword. It's not a Zanpakutō; it shouldn't be able to cut me since I am in my soul form,"_ Ichigo thought as he blocked one of Urahara's strikes. ' _No, wait, that wouldn't make any sense! If he knows all about this, and even has Asauchi for me, then I can't assume his weapon isn't a Zanpakutō,'_ Ichigo realized as Urahara jumped away from Ichigo.

"Let's take it to next level now, shall we? **"Awaken, Benihime."**

Urahara's sword began to glow red, transforming by the second into a sleek, medium-sized sword. The hilt's grip, which has a black decorative wrapping, gently bent forward at the end, with the pommel shape overlapping three times, and a crimson tassel dangling from its base. Instead of a tsuba, there is a U-shape guard covering three inches of blade, with a flower petal design. At the base of the guard is a red string wrapped thrice around the hilt, with a three-loop bow on the back side and a folded paper decoration on the front side. The blade's hamon is straight, coloured black with a silver edge, and is somewhat thicker than the cane-sealed state. It remains straight and slim, with a somewhat short size, with the tip ending in a slanted razor-like edge instead of tapering to a point.

"Every Zanpakutō have a name," Ichigo said to himself, but loud enough for Urahara to hear it.

"Yes, each Zanpakutō has a name. And this one is Benihime, the Crimson Princess," Urahara said, unleashing a horizontal slash, sending a wave of spiritual energy right at Ichigo.

Ichigo didn't have any time to block the attack. Urahara's attack sent him flying a few feet back. Additionally, he didn't have time to think as Urahara was already above him, ready to strike. All he could do was dodge and run. However, he did not get far, for Urahara appeared behind him and grabbed him by his collar, throwing him over his shoulder. Ichigo just tumbled back about ten feet before coming to a stop, lying face down in the dirt.

 _'I'm so pathetic! I can't do anything against him other than running away!'_ He grabbed the hilts of his Zanpakutōs in his hands tightly. _'I AM SO PATHETIC!'_

Then, time froze, and the girls he saw in his mind were standing in front of him.

 ** _"Yes, you are a sorry sight right now,"_** The girl in black admitted.

 ** _"Why are you running from him? He is one man with a sword, and you are one man with two swords. You have the advantage here, so why are you cowering in fear?_** " The girl in the blue dress asked as their eyes met, and he stood up with his back towards Urahara.

 ** _"Face forward, Master,"_** The girl in the black dress said.

" ** _You should be able to hear our names now,"_** The girl in the blue dress uttered.

" ** _The only thing stopping you is your own fear,"_** The girl in the black dress commented.

" ** _Turn and face him!"_** The girl in the blue dress said.

" ** _Advance, never stop...! If you retreat, you will age. If you are afraid, you will die...! Now, our Master... now, say our names…"_** the girls chanted in unison.

"What happened? Why did both of them stop?" Jinta questioned. As he, Tessai and Ururu watch from the sidelines. Ichigo slowly turned to face Urahara and glared at him defiantly, before he held his Zanpakutōs and pointed them towards the ceiling of the underground.

 **"The breath of the planet gathers. The torrent of life shines,"** Ichigo began to chant. Golden Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's right side. **"Hammer of the Vile King. Overturn the aurora. Swallow the light!"** Black Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's left side **.** **"Swords of Starlight, thou shalt obliterate! EXCALIBUR MORGAN!"** Ichigo yelled.

The golden and black Reiatsu exploded around and enveloped him. Everyone was forced to take cover from the wave of Reiatsu and dust. When it cleared, it revealed Ichigo with his Shikai. Everyone was stunned by what they saw. In Ichigo's right hand was a western-style sword with blue hilt with a golden guard and some initials written on the face of the silver blade. In his left hand laid a sword similar to the one in his right; however, it's black and red, maintaining an identical profile with its twin. The changes weren't limited to his blades, however. The sheathes also transformed; one was a golden scabbard with blue enamel, while the other was a black scabbard with red enamel. **(4)**

Everyone looking at Ichigo's Zanpakutōs would all agree they look more like legendary treasures to show dignity and nobility, rather than weapons to kill.

"Those are the most beautiful Zanpakutōs I've ever seen," Urahara said in awe, unaware he said that aloud.

"Hey, Urahara…" Ichigo said quietly.

Urahara perked up, wondering what was going on. His instincts were screaming something was amiss, and he knew it was best to stay on guard.

"You better dodge this," Ichigo said, as he raised both Excalibur and Morgan above his head. Excalibur began to glow golden while Morgan began to glow black. "Because I have no control over it right now!" Ichigo yelled as he swung them downward; releasing two blasts of golden and black Reiatsu towards Urahara. Looking at the frightening attack.

"Awaken, Benihime!" Urahara shouted, as a hexagonal crimson barrier formed in front of him, which Ichigo's attack impacted dead-on. Unexpectedly, the crimson barrier began to crack from Ichigo's attack without much resistance. "Bakudō #81. Dankū!" Urahara hurriedly chanted, as a large translucent barrier appeared in front of him to reinforce his defences.

The added barrier worked, as Ichigo's attack finally caused a large explosion, kicking up a lot of dust. The dust settled, to see Dankū still standing, yet it was covered with a lot of cracks from the attack. Urahara gently poked the barrier, and sure enough, it collapsed like smashed eggshells. He let out a sigh of relief. _'Man, that was a very close call,'_ Urahara thought as he looked at Ichigo, just in time to see the teen collapse from the loss of adrenaline and over usage of such a large power for the first time.

Smiling to himself, Urahara shook his head. "Ururu. Jinta,"

"Yes, Urahara-san?" Ururu inquired.

"Help Tessai with getting Ichigo treated," Urahara instructed.

"OK," Ururu said as they walked over to Tessai.

' _If I hadn't used that kidō, I most certainly would have died. I would never have thought you'd release such a power in just one swing... You sure have a pair of very dangerous Zanpakutōs, despite how beautiful they are, Kurosaki-san…!'_ Urahara thought, as he walked away towards the ladder to exit the underground training area.

Then, he noticed his hat was on the ground, mostly incinerated from the collateral damage.

 _'You're such a scary kid… You passed the third test!'_

* * *

 **Mindscape**

Ichigo woke up and saw he was back in his inner world again. He looked around, and saw both Excalibur and Morgan standing behind him. "Thank you for helping me, Excalibur, Morgan – I really appreciate it," Ichigo said, smiling.

 **"It's only natural for us to help you, since we are your Zanpakutōs; but make no mistake, we won't hold your hand and guide you in every turn. You have to have the desire to get strong, and _then_ we will lend you our powers!"** Excalibur said seriously.

"Yes, I know. That is why I will do everything to get stronger to be worthy to wield you," Ichigo said.

 **"You _are_ already worthy; if not, then you never would have been able to hear our names,"** Morgan said, returning his earlier smile, making him blush.

Even now, he still couldn't get over how beautiful they were.

"You know… calling you 'Excalibur' and 'Morgan' doesn't really fit you two…" Ichigo said. Excalibur and Morgan nodded in agreement.

 **"So, you want to give us a nickname,"** Morgan said.

 **"Well, what do you have in mind?"** Excalibur asked with curiosity.

"How about… 'Artoria' and 'Altria', respectively?" Ichigo asked.

 **"It's pretty good. How did you come up with it?"** Morgan asked.

"Well, you two look same, but at the same time, you're different," Ichigo said with a smile.

They looked at each other, and then back to Ichigo.

 **"Well, I can't say I disagree. We are one, but at the same time we are a pair as well. I like the names you came up; you can call me Artoria, Master!"** The newly christened blue-dressed girl replied.

 **"And you can call me Altria, Master,"** the newly christened black-dressed girl confirmed.

"I am happy you liked the names, and please, call me Ichigo. I was never the one with formalities, and it's only fair since I call you with your names, you should call me with my names as well," Ichigo said. "Besides, it makes my neck rather itchy hearing that title…!"

Smirking, Artoria continued, **"Now, then, let's talk about training. I will teach you how to use your Quincy powers."**

 **"And I will teach you how to use your Hollow powers,"** Altria said.

 **"And, finally, we will both teach you how to use your Shinigami powers,"** The twins said together.

" **Before we can start teaching you any of our abilities, however, the very first step is to force that shopkeeper to teach you how to control your Reiatsu, and possibly some kidō,"** Artoria suggested.

"I will ask him when I wake up," Ichigo said, determined to get stronger.

" **During the night, we will begin to teach you how to our abilities in your mindscape,"** Altria said.

"Ok."

" **Now, allow us to explain the abilities of your Shikai,"** Artoria said, as they both brought out their blade and scabbard. **"Use both Excalibur and Morgan to increase your speed, attack power and stamina. As you accidently used earlier, you can fill Excalibur and Morgan with your Reiatsu and fire a large blast of energy. The longer you charge the blades, the power powerful the attack is. Naturally, it'll take more energy proportionate to the destructive strength."**

" **Let's talk about our scabbards,"** Altria said. **"Our scabbards also have their own passive and active abilities. To use our active abilities, you need to call out their name."**

" **Both of our scabbards slowly gather and store the nearby Reishi and Reiatsu. However, what our scabbards can do with that piled Reiatsu is different,"** Artoria said.

" **My scabbard's passive ability allows you to charge up Morgan faster, or use it directly to increase your Reiatsu like a battery. The release phrase is, 'Become the paradise of darkness no man can set forth in,** **_Vortigern!_ Commit that to memory." **Altria continued, as Vortigern began to release black Reiatsu as per her explanation, while floating in the air in front of them. Soon, they were enveloped in a ball of black Reiatsu, though Ichigo noticed the world appears clear despite being inside this 'bubble'. **"Vortigern's active ability makes it a mobile fortress, which absorbs any hits and fires it back stronger,"** Altria explained as she deactivated Vortigern.

 **"Meanwhile, my scabbard's passive ability allows you heal yourself. My scabbard release phrase is,** **'The inner sea of the planet. From the edge of paradise, you shall hear my words. Let only those without sin pass, _Avalon_!'"** Artoria said, as Avalon began to release golden Reiatsu, similarly floating in front of her and Ichigo. They were enveloped in a ball of golden Reiatsu. Just like before, the world outside looked clear and unhindered. **"Avalon's active ability also becomes a mobile fortress where nothing can hit you,"** Artoria said when she deactivated Avalon.

"That's amazing!" Ichigo said, amazed at what his Zanpakutōs are capable of doing.

" **We still have other abilities we haven't revealed yet,"** Artoria said.

"There's more!?"

" **Yes. Even though we are in our sealed state, you can use all of those abilities, but they will be weaker,"** Altria said.

"I see…"

" **Our other ability is to make either your Zanpakutōs invisible, or yourself and other things, by wrapping them in light-refracting air."**

"Interesting…" Ichigo muttered, as Altria and Artoria made their respective blades disappear.

" **There are some other abilities we have, but you are not ready to learn them yet."**

" **Oh, and when you wake up, you will find your appearance has changed a bit,"** Artoria remarked.

"Why is that?" Ichigo questioned, rather alarmed.

 **"It's a minor side effect for wielding us,"** Artoria said.

" **Anyways, you should get some rest, because from tomorrow your hellish training will start,"** Altria said.

" **So rest as much as you can."** Artoria said.

"Alright, I will see you later," Ichigo said with a smile.

 **"But… before you go…"** Altria walked towards Ichigo, and kissed him smack on the lips.

Ichigo was simply stunned by Altria's action. They stood there for a few seconds, one closing her eyes in pleasure, the other held his eyes wide open in shock. After Altria ended the kiss, it's Artoria who immediately kissed Ichigo as well, which mercifully ended soon enough.

"W-Why did you two kissed m-me?!" He half-screamed, as his face was completely red from the kisses.

 **"Even you should know why a girl would kiss a boy,"** Artoria asked with a smirk and a little blush on her face from the kiss.

 **"Yes; you may be the blockhead of the year, but even you should know why?"** Altria teased, as she too had some red in her face from the kiss, just like Altria.

"Because… you love me?" He asked with a bit hesitation.

 **"Of course we love you. We have watched you your entire life. We've seen how kind and strong man you've became. Always willing to helps others, even if you don't have to. You're always willing to stand up for others,"** Artoria said, smiling fondly.

"I… don't know what to say…! I-It's not like I don't like you, or anything… b-but… I'll admit when I first saw you two, I-I thought you two were the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Despite knowing you two for only a few hours, I have developed some feelings for you two. It's just… I don't want to hurt you if I end up picking only one…" He managed to stutter out sadly.

" **Jeez, you don't have to think that hard! Because… you don't have to pick one between us; because we will share you with each other!"** Altria declared.

"Waa… s-share... I... You…" Ichigo couldn't register what she just said.

" **We both agreed to share you, since we are both a part of you and technically the same being. Unless… y-you don't like us…?"** Artoria said, putting up a sad expression.

"N-NO! Like I said, despite knowing you two for only such a short time, I have developed some feelings for you two. B-But is it OK to have a relationship like that… with a Zanpakutō? Much less _two_?!" Ichigo asked with a red face.

 **"Well, it's not impossible. It's just a bit difficult, but we are an exception due to your heritage. In the end, everything will be fine once you achieve Bankai,"** Altria said.

"Bankai?" Ichigo asked tilting his head to the right in confusion.

 **"You will learn about it later,"** Artoria said.

 **"Although you may be worthy to wield us, you must prove if you are also worthy of our feelings as well,"** Altria said.

"I will do my best for you two!" Ichigo strongly declared with a warm smile, making both of them blush.

 **"You should get some rest now,"** Artoria said.

 **"You have _much_ to learn tomorrow,"** Altria said. They both were smiling beautifully, as that was the last image burned into Ichigo's head before he fell asleep.

* * *

 **Urahara Shōten**

Ichigo woke up and began to do some light stretches. Actually, he woke up a while ago, but Artoria and Altria dragged him back into his mindscape to get used to dual-wielding the blades. Ichigo looked over, and noticed Excalibur and Morgan weren't there.

"You are finally awake, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara asked in his childish voice.

"Where are my Zanpakutōs?!" Ichigo demanded as he glared at Urahara.

"No need to fear. While you were passed out, I had Tessai put you back into your body, and your Zanpakutōs went in with you," Urahara said to defend himself.

 ** _"Don't worry; we are here,"_** Artoria said in his head.

"How did you dye your hair? And when did you start wearing contact lenses?" Urahara asked, curious about Ichigo's new physical changes.

Ichigo looked at him with confusion, before he remembered what Artoria warned about his appearance.

"They're just side effects of releasing my Zanpakutōs," Ichigo answered. "Can you give me a mirror, in any case?"

Urahara grabbed a nearby table mirror and handed it to Ichigo. When he looked at the mirror, he could see he now has a streak of blonde and white-blonde on each side of his hair, reminding Ichigo of Artoria's and Altria's own shades. Ichigo noticed his brown eyes were now a mix of hazel, green, and gold. Also, when he looked at his skin, he realized his skin was noticeably paler than before.

 ** _"This are the side effects I told you about,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"Your eyes look so beautiful,"_** Altria complimented, making Ichigo blush slightly.

"All in all, you look pretty good-looking, Kurosaki-san," Urahara said, hiding his face behind his fan. "I'll be seeing you under the store for training."

* * *

 **10 days later…**

"I think that is enough for today, Kurosaki-san. You should go home, get some rest and spend some time with your family," Urahara said as he sealed his Shikai, placed the hat on his head, before he continued more seriously, "This may be the last time you spent time with them."

Ichigo stood up straight, sealed his Zanpakutōs, before nodding to Urahara. Ichigo hadn't seen his family for ten days now. He didn't call to let them know he was okay or anything of the sort. Ichigo began to think how worried his two sisters would be, especially Yuzu. Karin _should_ be worried as well, but she wouldn't show it as much as her younger sister.

 ** _"They must be worried about you,"_** Artoria repeated his thoughts.

 ** _"You should go home and spent some time with them. "_** Altria said.

When he started to climb the exit ladder, Urahara's voice stopped him. "Kurosaki-san, it is _very_ important you have your window open at 1:00 am, okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing," Ichigo casually replied, not really wanting to know what Urahara had planned. With that said, after he resumed climbing up the ladder, he arrived at his temporary bedroom to see his body lying there. Ichigo checked around before entering his body, then repeated his stretches from earlier. After he finished readjusting to his body, Ichigo left the room and walked out of the shop, catching sight of Tessai sweeping the porch, while Jinta and Ururu were playing catch.

"Bye!" Ichigo waved.

""Bye, Kurosaki-san!"" Tessai and Ururu said together.

While walking back home, Ichigo couldn't help but think about the training he went through the past ten days with Urahara, Tessai, Artoria, and Altria.

' _With Urahara's help, I managed to learn about Zanjutsu, the traditional sword fighting style; Hakuda, an unarmed fighting style, and Hohō, the high-speed fighting movements. With Tessai's help, I learned more about Kidō and Reiatsu sensing. According to Tessai, Kidō isn't something you could learn in such a short amount of time, anyway. When my physically body is recovering from the intense training with Urahara and Tessai, I am receiving an even more intense training from my beautiful Zanpakutōs. They had me practise using their Shikai abilities. With that done, they had me try and practice them only with their sealed state. I learned I can use either blade to fire a blast of compressed air, known as [Invisible Air]. They also mentioned I could fire short blasts of Reiatsu, known as [Reiatsu Burst]. It was quickly decided I shouldn't focus on my Quincy or Hollow Powers right now, because of the increasing attention being drawn towards me…_

 _'As of right now I can perform both Hadō and Bakudō up to no. 63 without incantation, though their quality varies. Anything beyond that, I need full incantations to show any respectable effects. Tessai **did** mention I seem to be prodigy for Kidō._ _When I wasn't training with Artoria and Altria, we would relax, going on short walks around each of the mindscapes. They would tease me it was pretty much a date, and I was forced to accept the fact.'_

Ichigo's thoughts were interrupted when he realized he had arrived in front of his house, the sign "Kurosaki Clinic" was clearly visible outside. He took a deep breath, before walking up to the door and inserting the house keys to open it.

Suddenly, he heard someone running over.

"WELCOME BACK, IIICCHHIIGOOOO!" Isshin yelled as he charged towards Ichigo.

Ichigo immediately raised his right leg up, and Isshin's face promptly crashed into Ichigo's right foot. Isshin's body collapsed from Ichigo's counter attack, and the young boy simply shook his head and continued on into the house, leaving his dad crumpled there.

 ** _"You would think that after trying so many times, he will stop,"_** Artoria sighed.

 ** _"But it is funny to see him getting beaten up all the time!"_** Altria exclaimed.

 _'Well, I think he should just stop it and give me a break already,'_ Ichigo said, annoyed.

As he entered, he immediately came face to face with his two sisters, who had worried looks on their face as they looked at Ichigo.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu screamed.

"Ichi-nii!" Karin screamed.

They ran over to their older brother and gave him a hug.

"Where were you, Onii-chan?!" Yuzu asked as she tried to look Ichigo in the eyes.

"I was away with my friends. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you guys," Ichigo lied.

"You could have called, you know?!" Karin grumbled, venting at Ichigo and trying to act tough. After a while, she noticed Ichigo's changed appearance. "And what happened to your eyes and hair? Even your skin looks paler…"

"I think I look pretty good, no?" Ichigo suggested, trying to dodge the question.

"But… really, what happened to you?" Karin pried further.

 _'Karin, stop being so smart and stubborn,'_ Ichigo groaned.

" ** _They got it from you,"_** Artoria commented.

"We were doing a science experiment, when it exploded. I protected my friends from the explosion, and the chemical got onto my eyes and hair. Luckily, we managed to wash it off, but it altered my hair, eyes and skin," Ichigo lied again, hoping they accepted the answer.

Yuzu and Karin were stunned at Ichigo's answer, smart enough to be aware of how dangerous playing chemicals were, though still too naïve to suspect him once again.

"Are you sure you're alright, Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked.

"I am sure, Yuzu. Now, then, what's for dinner?" Ichigo asked, trying to change the subject.

Yuzu's face lit up. "Oh, I made your favourite curry!" She excitedly pulled Ichigo towards the kitchen.

Unbeknownst to the siblings, Isshin was standing near the doorway, narrowing his eyes disapprovingly at Ichigo's lies. _'Just what has happened during his time with Urahara…?'_ Isshin wondered.

After eating dinner with his family, they spent some time watching some TV. Soon, his sisters fell asleep.

Ichigo carefully carried them to their beds and tucked them in lovingly, before going to his own room. Ichigo made sure his window was open as he laid down on his bed, waiting for Urahara's promised time.

* * *

 **1:00 A.M.**

"It's close to 1:00…" Ichigo mumbled.

Nervous, Ichigo got off his bed and checked outside, only to see nothing. Suddenly, a small ball flew into Ichigo's room and collided with his wardrobe. Red, blood-like substance poured out and displayed a message on the wall.

 **"Urgent. Meet us outside of Urahara's immediately."**

' _Why did he send a message like that? It's like how one of those creepy message serial murders would write using their latest victim's blood…'_

As soon as he thought of that, suddenly, another small ball flew into Ichigo's room and collided with his wardrobe again. More red blood-like substance poured out and wrote a new message on the wall.

 **"P.S.: If you think this is one of those messages written in the victim's own blood, then truly, you have no sense of humour."**

"Shut up!" He growled, as he threw a pillow at the message.

 ** _"Now… that's a really weird way to send a message,"_** Altria commented.

 ** _"You should get going now,"_** Artoria notified. Ichigo looked on, only to see the message had magically disappeared. Ichigo shook his head, as he carefully walked downstairs. As soon as Ichigo opened the door, he heard Isshin's voice.

"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGOOO!" Isshin yelled as he jumped off the roof as he tried to tackle Ichigo. Ichigo sighed as he took a step to the right. Isshin's smiling face turned horrified as he slammed head first on to the pavement.

"What is wrong with you?! Is that how you say goodbye to your son?" Ichigo asked.

"Before you leave, Ichigo, I wanted to make sure you had _this_ to take with you," Isshin said, holding up a small sack tied to a string with some weird markings on it.

"What am I supposed to do with some dirty old charm?" Ichigo said, while holding the charm.

"Watch your mouth! Your mother gave that charm to me long ago. It has always brought me luck; now, maybe it will bring you luck." Isshin said, " Think of it as a gift from your mother,"

"Then why are you giving me something so important like that?" Ichigo asked.

"I am just letting you borrow it. You'll give it back to me when you come back," Isshin claimed.

 ** _"I am feeling a protective-type kidō from the charm,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"It's a Bakudō which will activate if someone attacks you,"_** Altria said.

 _'So, he really **was** a Shinigami. If he gave me this charm, then he knows I am going to Soul Society_…'

"Thanks, Dad," Ichigo said, clutching the charm and began walking away.

* * *

 **Soul Society: Sixth Division Barracks**

Renji sighed as he entered the Sixth Division's barracks, which were his home for a long time. As he walked through the halls, he found it ironic he only now finally noticed how brightly lit the hallways were, compared to when he was bringing in a bad mood. In the short time since he had become the Sixth Squad's fukutaichō, he had never had as reason to be in such a dark mood as he was right now.

The reason he was in such a dark mood was in front of him: Kuchiki Rukia, standing in her cell.

"Oh, what does the honourable lieutenant want with me?" She asked from inside her cell.

"Shut up," Renji ordered.

"Oh, my apologies, lieutenant,"

"I said _shut up_! Don't you understand the position you're in?!"

Rukia nodded, halfway ignoring his rant, and sat down on the one piece of furniture in her cell: a wooden chair which faced the back wall, and well away from the bars Renji stood behind.

"Do you think I'm really going to be executed?" She asked grimly.

"What?!" Renji asked, taken aback. "No! Captain Kuchiki is meeting to discuss your sentence now. I'm sure he'll ask for some sort of clemency!"

Rukia looked down. "Then I _am_ doomed.

Renji gripped the bars of the cell tightly. "That's ridiculous! He's your brother!"

Rukia turned her head, enough for Renji to see one of her eyes narrowing. "In the forty years since I joined the Kuchiki Clan, not once has that man even _looked_ at me." Rukia spat out, and she was proven right when Byakuya Kuchiki finally returned.

"The class one felon, Kuchiki Rukia, shall be sentenced to death. The sentence will be carried out twenty-five days from now through the use of the Sōkyoku. This is the final decision of the Soul Society," Byakuya declared.

Renji couldn't believe his ears. Byakuya recited the sentence robotically as if he had been asked to memorize it. With his task done, Byakuya left. Renji had to grab the prison bars again to steady his shaking knees. Rukia merely turned away and stared at the wall, accepting her fate.

* * *

 **Land of the Living: Urahara Shōten**

Ichigo arrived in front of Urahara's shop, only to see Urahara standing there with Ichigo's friend Chad.

"Chad? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.

"Rukia saved me once. I wanted to replay my debt to her," Chad said.

"I see," Ichigo said, as he remembered the time they saved Chad and the possessed cockatiel from a Hollow. Suddenly, Ichigo could hear another pair of footsteps approaching. Ichigo turned to see Orihime just arriving.

"You guys sure got here fast," Orihime exclaimed.

"I was walking around until I noticed the message Urahara-san sent," Chad voiced his reason.

Ichigo noticed Orihime was slightly depressed. "What happened, Orihime?"

"Ooh… it's just that someone told me I have no sense of humour," Orihime sadly replied.

 _'You too, huh?'_ Ichigo thought.

"I wonder where Uryū is, I heard he was coming along as well," Orihime said.

"I don't think he'll come," Chad said.

"Chad!"

"It's no big deal, Orihime. It would be better if he doesn't come… Out of all of us, Uryū is the most complex person, and the more complex the person is, the weaker they are… If he didn't come, maybe that would be for the better," Chad half-taunted accidentally. Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"Who did you say won't come?" A voice interrupted getting everyone's attention, and they turned to see Uryū coming towards them in his usual Quincy outfit.

"As I said before, I can't forgive myself for losing to those Shinigami, so I had to train harder. I will not stop until I _win_ ," Uryū declared.

"Uryū… thank you!" Orihime said while smiling at him.

"Y-You've misunderstood! This has nothing to do with Rukia Kuchiki!" Uryū stuttered, slightly flustered. "I-I simply want to see how strong I've become compared to you, Kurosaki!" Uryū said as he stared at his rival.

Ichigo just looked at Uryū with wide eyes when he saw what Uryū was dressed in. "Uryū, d-did you walk all the way here wearing that weird clothing… you're very brave…"

"WHAT?! H-How can you say it's weird!?" Uryū demanded.

"Well, it's not weird, per se… it's just… with the nerdy you look you have going on, then add _that_ with the outfit, you just look like a super nerd or a cosplayer," Ichigo defended himself.

"How can you say that?! What happened to your hair and eyes, and why are you looking so pale anyway?! You're the one looking to have make-ups on!" Uryū asked.

"Yes, Ichigo what happened to you? I was about to ask that before Uryū came," Orihime chimed.

"Well, it's a little side effect from releasing my Shinigami powers, that's all," Ichigo said.

 _'His eyes are so beautiful,'_ Orihime thought that while looking into Ichigo's eyes.

Ichigo started to sweat a little, as he could sense the glares from his Zanpakutōs/girlfriends in his mind when Orihime began to blush while looking into his eyes. He let out a sigh as he accepted the impending scolding – or beating – by Artoria and Altria.

"Oh, everyone's here. That's great!" Urahara announced.

"Where else would we be?" Ichigo sarcastically replied.

"Come on in, and I'll explain how to go to the Soul Society." Everyone entered the Shōten. "Now, listen carefully, or you guys might die before you arrive at Soul Society," Urahara warned seriously. He led the group into his underground training room, getting various reactions from the group.

Inoue gushed over how cool it was, Chad looked indifferent, while Uryū looked intrigued. "Okay, everybody, please look over here, we're about ready to go!" Urahara announced, snapping his fingers, as a large stone door frame formed in the middle of the large training field.

"This is the Tenkai Ketchu, a modified gateway to Soul Society. Now, listen very carefully! I'll teach you the way to go through this door without dying," Urahara said seriously. Then, he appeared behind Ichigo and poked his head with his cane, forcing Ichigo's soul out of his body, revealing him with his standard Shinigami uniform, with Excalibur and Morgan in their sealed state on his hips.

"Next time, give me a warning before you do it!" Ichigo said, narrowing his eyes at Urahara.

"Oh my god, t-there are two Ichigos now!" Orihime said, as she started poking Ichigo's human body with her finger.

"Why are you touching my body?" Ichigo questioned in a deadpan voice.

"Oops, s-sorry…!" Orihime said, blushing fiercely as she backed away from it.

"Pay attention to me. Now, as you know, Soul Society is a world of souls, so it is impossible for you to enter it unless you are a soul. Now then, I have a device which would convert your physical bodies into a soul. This allows you all to enter the Senkaimon and into Soul Society," Urahara explained.

"Is there any time limit for how long you can open it?" Ichigo asked, looking directly at Urahara. Urahara was slightly surprised at that question, as he half expected the teen to recklessly charge into the gate without hearing anything he just said.

 _'After he released his Zanpakutōs, he became more mature and smarter, and he now thinks before acting…'_ Such was the thought of the shopkeeper.

"I asked you: Is there any time limit?" Ichigo repeated, snapping Urahara of his stunned state.

"Ah, yes! How very observant of you Kurosaki-san. Yes, because of the heavy modification I made to the gate, we will only able to hold it for a maximum of 4 minutes," Urahara answered.

"So, all we have to do is reach the end before our time runs out," Ichigo remarked, all the while calculating the speed he and his friends might need to be at in order to reach the end.

"Absolutely right, Kurosaki-san," Urahara replied.

"If we can't, then what should we do?" Orihime asked.

"Walk forward," A gruff male voice replied, getting everyone's attention.

Ichigo glanced around, until he looked down to see a black cat he'd been catching glimpses of for the past week.

"Yoruichi-san!" Inoue voiced in surprise.

"Didn't I say earlier: The heart and the soul are connected? What's important is how your heart thinks," Yoruichi said.

"There's a talking cat, now? Right… haven't seen that in a while…" Ichigo sarcastically commented as he rubbed his forehead.

 ** _"That is kind of disturbing," _**Artoria commented.

 ** _"Cats are talking now; what's next? Flying pigs?"_** Altria added.

"His name is Yoruichi, and he isn't just a cat!" Orihime said, holding Yoruichi to her chest.

"It _is_ hard to get used to," Uryū said, pushing his glasses up.

"I'm still adjusting to it myself," Chad said.

"Only those who listen to me and prepared for it may follow me," Yoruichi finished.

"I've made my decision, but the rest of you can still back out," Ichigo offered.

"No way," Orihime said. Chad nodded.

"Don't make getting out-voted into a bad habit," Uryū said, pushing his glasses up again. "You'd make a horrible politician."

The gate began to glow blue,

"The gate is about to open. Please jump in simultaneously when it does," Urahara instructed. Everyone assembled in front of the gate and waited, until... "Now!" Urahara yelled, as the light began to fade to reveal a rippling substance between the stones. Everyone jumped into the portal and disappeared.

"They're off," Tessai exclaimed with a sigh, as Urahara deactivated the Tenkai Ketchu.

"Be careful, Kurosaki-san I am leaving the rest up to you now," Urahara said, solemnly.

* * *

 **Dangai**

Everyone entered the Dangai and immediately started to run.

"Where are we?" Orihime asked.

"This is the Dangai, a separate dimension between Soul Society and the Human World," Yoruichi explained.

As they continued to run inside the Dangai, everyone noticed the walls were beginning to close in on them.

"What's going on?" Uryū yelled "The walls are closing in and following us!"

"Just keep looking forwards and keep running!" Yoruichi scolded, "We must get near the exit before the time runs out." No sooner had the words left Yoruichi's mouth, a liquid tendril shot out of the wall following them, ensnaring Uryū's cape. Uryū began to choke as he struggled to untie his cape. Chad tore the cape off of him and carried him over his shoulders.

"Thanks," Uryū muttered as Chad continued to run while carrying him. He was grateful he was facing the other direction, so no one could see his embarrassing figure.

"Um, guys…" Ichigo said, continuing to look back. "There's a light heading toward us…"

"That is the Cleaner. It only appears once every seven days Why did it have to show up now?!" Yoruichi yelled. "Double time it! If that thing touches us, we're done for!"

 _'Damn, that thing is fast! Looks like I have no choice but to use **it**!'_ Ichigo thought. "Everyone, grab onto me quickly, and don't let go no matter what!" Ichigo yelled as Yoruichi jumped onto his left shoulder. Chad, who was carrying Uryū, grabbed onto Ichigo's left arm, and Orihime grabbed onto his right arm, smothering it between her big breasts.

 **" _I WILL KILL HER!"_** Altria screamed menacingly.

 ** _"Is she really seducing him in this kind of situation?"_** Artoria asked herself.

 _'Now is not the time for this…!'_ Ichigo gritted in his mind, as he pulled the Excalibur from its sheath, pointing the blade behind him. "Invisible Air!"

The sealed blade fired a blast of compressed air behind them, pushing everyone out of the Dangai… into a height fifty feet in the air. However, as they were about to crash. Ichigo pointed the sword to the ground and used Invisible Air again to slow their descent.

"Is everyone alright?" Ichigo voiced out.

"To think I need to use my spare cape this early," Uryū said, making everyone to look at him weirdly.

 _'I honestly can't think of anything to say to him,'_ Ichigo thought.

" ** _He really brought a backup cape,"_** Artoria said, with a shocked face.

 ** _"And I thought the talking cat was weird_** ," Altria with a snort.

 _'It was just like Shunpō, and the speed was almost as good as mine,'_ Yoruichi thought as she went over to Ichigo. "Ichigo, what did you do?"

"It is one of the abilities of my Zanpakutōs," Ichigo said proudly.

"Zanpakutōs?" She said, while looking at his waist, finally noticing he had two Zanpakutōs. "YOU ARE A DUAL WIELDER?!" Yoruichi screamed as she finally noticed the fact. Everyone turned around and looked at the surprised cat.

"Is it strange to have two Zanpakutōs?" Uryū asked.

"There are only two dual-wielders in the entire Soul Society's _history_ ," she said, shocking everyone. "And that Urahara didn't tell me anything about you being a dual-wielder… I will get him for this later!" She growled angrily.

"So, this is Soul Society… Doesn't look very much like heaven," Ichigo remarked.

"This is the outskirts of Soul Society, the poorest of the areas the place where all souls are placed upon their death, and at the center of this place, you can find the Seireitei, where the Shinigamis live," Yoruichi explained.

"So that is where that midget is, then," Ichigo said, as his gaze landed upon the cleanest part of the road which was connected to a large gate.

"Yes," Yoruichi confirmed.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes in defiance at Seireitei, as his journey to save Rukia truly had begun.

* * *

 **Notes**

 **1) Saber from Fate/Stay Night without her armour.**

 **2) Saber Alter from Fate/Stay Night without her armour.**

 **3)** **Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo Tensa Zangetsu**

 **4) Excalibur with Avalon scabbard and Excalibur Morgan with another Avalon scabbard but with black and red lines.**

* * *

 ** _And the first chapter is done; nearly 10k. Well guys as I have said above this is my first story so please forgive me if I made any mistakes and please leave review to how can I make the story better or tell me if I made any mistakes that I should correct and as I have said in summary. Ichigo, Saber and Saber Alter in this story are a bit OOC and I made Saber as Ichigo's Shinigami and Quincy powers and Alter as his Hollow powers. I have put a poll do decide if I should make this an IchigoxHarem or should just pair IchigoXArtoriaxAltria. Please vote the next chapter will be in 15-20 days._**

 ** _Next time: Invasion and Battles_**

 ** _see you all in the next chapter_**


	2. Invasion and Battles

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners.**

 ** _Beta Tester:_** ** _ThunderReborn and ekaterina016_**

 ** _A.N. Welcome to the second chapter of King of Shinigamis I know that I said that the second chapter will come out in 15-20 days but I thought what the hell and wrote this chapter so I hope guys enjoy the story._**

* * *

 ** _Recap:_** "So, _this is the soul society…doesn't look very much like heaven." Said Ichigo._

 _"This is the outskirts of Soul Society; this place is the poorest of the areas the place where all souls are placed upon their death and at the center of this place you can find the Seireitei where the Shinigami live." Yoruichi explained._

 _"So that is where that midget is then." said Ichigo as his gaze landed upon the cleanest part of the road that connected to a large gate._

 _"Yes." reply Yoruichi._

 _Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Seireitei as his journey to save Rukia has begun._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 2: Invasion and Battles_**

* * *

Ichigo and his friends started to go towards the gate, determined to save Rukia.

"No, wait! You can't just go there like that!" Yoruichi yelled.

But it was too late, as a big wall fell between them and Seireitei.

"This wall just came out of nowhere!" Orihime said, surprised.

"They must have placed some kind of illusory Kidō on it to hide it above. When someone tries to break in, it breaks and the wall falls down, stopping the invaders from entering," Ichigo theorized as he gazed upon the wall.

"It has been a long time since anyone has tried to break into the Seireitei…"

Everyone turned to see _something_ crashed in front of them, kicking up dust. Soon, the dust settled to reveal a giant in a Shinigami uniform standing in front of the wall.

"What in the hell is that man? I thought all the souls should be the same size!" Uryū said, shocked after seeing someone as big as him.

"He is Jidanbō," Yoruichi said. "He is one of the four guards who defend four gates of Seireitei. In the last three hundred years, he has guarded the western gate, and he has never let any enemy pass through the gate," Yoruichi said.

"Who will face against me?" Jidanbō said, as he pulled out a massive axe.

"I will be your opponent," Ichigo said as he walked towards him.

"Are you crazy, Ichigo?! Just look at his size; how will you defeat him?!" Uryū yelled at him.

"Uryū is right; we have to make a plan first!" Yoruichi said.

"I can take him on by myself, don't worry," Ichigo yelled back at Uryū and Yoruichi due to their increased distance.

"Are you done talking?" Jidanbō asked, starting to get impatient.

"Sorry for the wait," Ichigo said, as he pulled Morgan out of the sheath and immediately activated Invisible Air, preventing Jidanbō from guessing Morgan's length.

Jidanbō raised his axe above his head and swung it down with all of his power, and Ichigo raised Morgan to meet the blow. Jidanbō's axe was cut in two pieces, just like a hot knife cutting through butter. Jidanbō blinked as he looked at the broken axe lying on the ground, back and forth to the handle in his hand.

"M-My axe..." Jidanbō said, shocked.

"How did Ichigo just break Jidanbō's axe… and where did Ichigo's blade go? He's not even holding anything… wait, is he holding an invisible sword?" Yoruichi whispered to herself as she saw his hand was curled around something.

"Please open the gate now," Ichigo asked.

"W-Well, I have another axe! I can still-" Before Jidanbō could swing his other axe, Ichigo used Invisible Air to reach the massive weapon and destroyed it. Jidanbō looked at the other handle and gasped. "My axe! Why'd you break my axe! " Jidanbō began to cry, shocking everyone.

 ** _"I guess it's right when they say size isn't everything,"_** Altria commented in his head.

 ** _"It is unexpected to see a giant to cry his eyes out,"_** Artoria agreed.

 _"Yeah, you would never think someone as big as him would cry like a little girl,"_ Ichigo said as he sweat dropped.

"Sorry, but we are in a hurry, so I wanted to end the fight quickly, and that was better than killing you," Ichigo said, as he tried to stop Jidanbō from crying.

"What a kind-hearted person you are. Look at me! I'm crying like a baby over an axe! I'm a disgrace as a man!" Jidanbō said as he dropped his axe handles. "It was my total defeat, and I will open the gate now." He turned to open the gate, as the rest of the group came forward.

"Ichigo's really strong, isn't he?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah," Uryū said, as he thought about his invisible sword.

"You must stay alert. I don't know why you want to go, but the people inside are harder and more prepared than I could ever hope to be," Jidanbō warned the group.

"I know," Ichigo replied.

Jidanbō gasped when he saw who was waiting behind the gate. Ichigo looked at the figure and noticed he had white hair, pale skin with closed eyes. He also wore a _white Haori_.

"Who is that man?" Ichigo asked cautiously.

"Captain of the Third Division… Gin Ichimaru," Jidanbō stuttered out.

"Ah, this is not allowed. You're a gatekeeper; you're not supposed to open the gate!" Gin chided calmly with his eyes closed. A silver light shot out, and all of a sudden Jidanbō's left shoulder burst open, with blood beginning to drip out of the large cut.

"The Guardian opens the door when he loses. It's only natural!" Jidanbō replied as he begins to get weaker, using his other shoulder to keep the gate up.

"You are wrong. When the guardian loses, that would mean he's dead," Gin said, as he prepared to kill Jidanbō. Before Gin could slash Jidanbō with his Zanpakutō again, Ichigo intervened. Ichigo was already in front of him, wielding both Excalibur and Morgan in their sealed state covered in Invisible Air.

"You tried to kill your own subordinate…!" Ichigo said darkly.

"Ichigo, we have to retreat!" Yoruichi ordered.

"So _you're_ Ichigo Kurosaki, wielder of an invisible sword... No, wait, two of them? So you are also a dual wielder; now, aren't you interesting?" Gin asked.

"You know me?" Ichigo questioned, only for Gin to turn around.

"Now I _definitely_ won't let you pass," Gin said.

 ** _"He's at a completely different level from that giant,"_** Altria warned him.

 ** _"Keep your guard up,"_** Artoria said.

 _'I **am** on my guard, but what can he do with that dagger?"_ Ichigo thought, slightly underestimating the other man's weapon by taking a semi-relaxed stance.

"Shoot to kill, Shinsō!"

All of a sudden, the short 'dagger' extended and shot towards Ichigo at high speeds. Just before it was about to hit Ichigo, however, he sidestepped away easily from the blade. Gin's silted eyes widened little. Ichigo, using the small time the blade was spending extended, dashed in and swung Excalibur and Morgan. Gin jumped back as he didn't know how long his Zanpakutōs were, but he was late as Excalibur and Morgan had slashed his right and left side of the chest.

He then tried to catch Ichigo from by using Shunpō, but Ichigo shocked him with his own speed, as he used Invisible Air and appeared in front him. Ichigo slashed Gin in his chest with Excalibur again, but Gin dodged Ichigo's that next slash by jumping back and creating some distance between them.

"You are stronger than I imagined," Gin commented.

"Ichigo is so strong!" Orihime said with amazement.

"To think he would get so strong in just ten days," Chad said.

"Just how did Ichigo get so powerful?" Uryū asked in shock.

 _'This boy is matching a captain without even releasing his Zanpakutōs…!'_ Yoruichi narrowed her yellow eyes as she thought.

"We have to go! There will be reinforcements coming any second," Ichigo said, as he shot himself back to the group by using Invisible Air. "Jidanbō, drop the gate! "Ichigo ordered. Jidanbō dropped the gate, then fainted from the blood loss.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Orihime asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. Just take care of Jidanbō first," he said. Orihime nodded as she walked over to Jidanbō. " _Now_ how are we supposed to get in?" Ichigo asked in frustration.

The group turned around at the sound of a commotion behind them. When they glared at the newcomers with suspicion, some of the people in front flinched in fright. "W-Wait!" Someone said from among the crowd, but they weren't able to see who he was.

The murmuring stopped as an old man with a long white beard stepped forward.

He bowed slightly. "I am the chief of West Rukongai's First District. I've watched everything. As Jidanbō's saviours, I welcome you all," the chief said.

"How are _we_ that giant's saviours?" Uryū asked again.

"He probably would have died if I didn't have come between him and Gin," Ichigo guessed. "Look at what they're doing to Rukia. They probably will execute him, too, just for losing."

The residents began to gather around the unconscious Jidanbō to inspect the wound on his arm.

"There are many arrogant, cruel Shinigamis," One resident explained. "But Jidanbō is different. He was originally from the Rukongai, and always treated us kindly,"

"That's a serious wound," Another one said. "I doubt he'll ever be able to use that arm again,"

"I can fix him right up!" Orihime said confidently.

The murmuring broke out again, even louder than before. "You can heal him?" Another resident asked.

Orihime smiled. "Leave it to me!" She walked up to Jidanbō's arm and stretched her own out. " Sōten Kisshun! I reject!" An orange energy field formed around the gash on Jidanbō's arm.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Orihime and that orange field, looking closely at it. He could see the arm slowly reattaching itself to Jidanbō's body. By night-time, Jidanbō was completely healed, though he was still unconscious. The group was placed in the elder's house, where they're discussing what they should do next.

"We cannot go through the gate again," Yoruichi said. "They will have increased the security there."

"What about the other gates?" Uryū asked.

"It will be same with other gates as well," Ichigo said.

Yoruichi turned to the elder. "Do you know Kūkaku Shiba lives?"

"Kūkaku Shiba…" the elder muttered in horror. "D-Don't tell me you mean to use _that_ to get through the wall…?!"

"What's that noise?" Ichigo said as he heard something, as he and others sharply looked at the door.

The door burst open, and a man flew through it. He crashed onto his head in the middle of the group and rose painfully.

"Owww…"

"Who is this?" All the humans asked at once. The man was tall and broad, though not a giant like Jidanbō, and wore sunglasses and a pink and white bandana. There was a snorting sound behind the man. The rescue party stared in shock as a large boar wearing a pink bow walked through the now-open door.

"Man, o man, Bonnie threw me off again," The man said, dusting himself off.

 ** _"Did that man really ride on that boar?"_** A shocked Artoria asked.

 ** _"This place just keeps getting weird and weirder,"_** Altria said.

 _"I completely agree with you,"_ Ichigo said to his girlfriends.

"Long time no see, old man!" That man greeted.

"Ganju!" The elder exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Come on," Ganju complained. "I'm visiting you for the first time in ages, and this is how you greet me?" He looked around. "Your guests are shocked… eh?" He lifted his sunglasses to look up and down at Ichigo.

"What's this? Old man, why do you have a stinking Shinigami here?" Ganju moved closer to Ichigo, staring him in the eyes. "I asked: _what is a stinking Shinigami doing here?!_ What's the matter? Can't you talk?"

Ichigo used some Invisible Air and sent Ganju at the wall, "Who are you, anyway?" Ichigo asked.

"You don't know who I am?" He asked, while getting up, to which everyone shook their heads, saying 'no'. "Then allow me to introduce myself. my given name is Ganju, the self-proclaimed Deep Red Bull of the West Rukongai District, and self-proclaimed and universally acknowledged Bossman of West Rukongai, and finally the self-proclaimed number one hater of Soul Reaper in West Rukongai!" He said, flexing his muscles.

"All of them are self-proclaimed?" Everyone said, while Ichigo simply narrowed his eyes at the last one. He was about to threaten Ichigo again, but someone's voice cut him off, as a man wearing a giant clock on his back arrived, riding a boar as well.

"Boss, we're running late!" The man shouted.

Ganju's eyes widened, before he pulled out a small whistle and blew into it. Another boar leaped out of the brush, nearly running him over. Ichigo looked back with an annoyed expression.

"I will be back!" Ganju screamed. "This isn't over, you hear me!?"

Ichigo shook his head softly.

"What was that all about?" Uryū asked.

"I have no idea," Ichigo said as he shrugged.

* * *

 **Sixth Division Cells**

Rukia sat facing the back wall of her cell. The sun shone brightly, allowing her to clearly see the shadow of the man who approached the cell bars.

"What is it, Renji?" She asked. "Have they moved up the date of my execution?"

"Yes," Renji answered. "It's fourteen days from now. We're here to transfer you to the Repentance Cell."

"I see," she said, as she closed her eyes.

* * *

 **The Next Day**

When the morning came, Yoruichi led them to Kūkaku Shiba's house. When they arrived, they could see a pair of giant hands sticking out of the ground, holding a banner which read, "Great Shiba House!" as a white chimney shaft overlooked the entire view.

 ** _"That's an interesting design for a house,"_** Artoria said. She literally couldn't find anything else to say.

 ** _"Ichigo, let's just go back home... I don't think I can stand this place anymore,"_** Altria said, reaching her limit.

 _"I, too, am having second thoughts about staying here, but I still save to save that Midget,"_ Ichigo said.

"Who goes there!" Two large beings with similar faces and fashion stepped in front of the group. Ichigo placed his hands on the handles of his blades, just in case.

"Is that a Shinigami!?" One of the men asked.

"What are you doing here?!" The other one asked.

"Excuse me," Yoruichi said. "While we are not in a rush, I would like to speak with Kūkaku."

"Oh, Yoruichi-sama! We did not see you!" The first man said.

"We will be delighted to take you to Kūkaku-sama, Yoruichi-sama," the second one replied. They escorted the group inside the house, who soon came across a simple sliding door, made of bamboo and thin brownish paper.

"Who's there!" A rough voice called from inside the room.

"Kūkaku-sama, I have a special guest with me," The first man reported.

"Send them in!"

The second man slid open the door, to reveal a woman.

"Kūkaku is a woman?!" Ichigo's friends, and Yoruichi, all screamed.

"Well, Yoruichi never said that Kūkaku was a man to begin with, no?" Ichigo pointed out.

Indeed, she was quite the woman. Dressed in a revealing red robe, exposing a great amount of cleavage to the world with an equally provocative white skirt, doubting Kūkaku's confidence in her looks would be a foolish wager, despite sporting a stump located where her right arm should be. She smiled a wolfish grin, dripping with arrogance, with a splash of surprise.

"Well, well, Yoruichi... It's been a long time. And I see you've brought a bunch of brats along with you."

"I shall explain that later," Yoruichi replied. "First though, I have a favour to ask of you, Kūkaku."

"You _always_ do," Kūkaku said. "Is it dangerous?"

"Probably."

Kūkaku looked Yoruichi in the eye. Ichigo, Uryū, Chad, and Orihime could practically taste the tension.

"Lucky for you. I enjoy danger," Kūkaku laughed. The humans' eyes widened at her response.

* * *

 **Seireitei**

Renji and the prison guards escorted Rukia over a narrow bridge overlooking most of the Seireitei. Their destination was a large white tower. They brought Rukia to her new cell and stood her before the one window in the room, which directly overlooked the Sōkyoku Hill, where a twenty-meter-tall stand and twenty-five-meter-tall halberd stood.

"Do you see that, prisoner?" The head guard sharply asked Rukia. "Those are to be the instruments of your execution. A prisoner who is brought here can gaze out of the tower's window at the Sōkyoku, and perhaps, repent their sins. That is why this place is called the Repentance Cell."

The guard released the bonds on her hands and turned to leave with his brethren.

"Thank you for escorting us, sir. We must go now," the guard addressed Renji when he was slow to follow. The guards continued to walk out of the cell, but Renji just stared at Rukia, who was still looking solemnly out the window. "Sir, we must lock the tower!"

"Huh?" Renji said, as if he had just been awakened from a daydream.

"Sir?"

Renji growled in frustration and walked up to Rukia. He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"I want to give you some unconfirmed information," he told Rukia. "They say a group of four intruders attempted to enter the Soul Society yesterday. One of them was a Shinigami with orange hair."

Rukia's eyes widened as she looked at Renji.

* * *

 **Shiba House**

Kūkaku smoked a pipe leisurely as she listened to Yoruichi's story.

"I think I get the picture," she said, as Yoruichi finished. "Sounds like fun."

"Excellent!" Yoruichi exclaimed.

"However," Kūkaku continued, "while I trust you completely, I do not trust these kids you're traveling with, so I'm going to send my brother as an overseer, just in case." Yoruichi looked unamused, though. "He's _my_ little brother, don't you worry. He's a good kid, despite being as useless as hell," Kūkaku tapped on the door, then called out, "Are you ready, idiot!?"

"Oh, yes, Sister, I am ready!"

Ichigo jerked his head to one side. That voice was slightly familiar, for some reason.

"I'm opening the door; you better be respectful before the greatness of the Shiba household".

"I will, Sister. I promise."

Kūkaku pulled back the sliding door to reveal a kneeling man, whom when he looked up Ichigo recognized.

" ** _Oh, my, it's that guy again…!"_** Altria said, with a bit of surprise.

 ** _"I certainly thought we will never see him again,"_** Artoria commented.

 _'I thought of that as well,"_ Ichigo replied.

"It's you!" Ganju yelled.

"How do you know each other?" Kūkaku asked.

"Well, you see..." Ichigo began to tell Kūkaku how they met Ganju.

* * *

 **First Division Meeting Hall**

"You are late, Captain Ichimaru," an old man with an extremely long white beard said, staring down at Gin, who just smirked in response.

"My fault, Head Captain. Division Four was a little busy today, so they were a little slow with my treatment," Gin replied.

"Regardless of whatever excuse you could muster up, what you did yesterday is completely inexcusable!" The Head Captain shouted. "There was a breach which was not brought to our attention! You put the safety of the entire Soul Society at risk!" He angrily stomped the cane he was holding.

"The Soul Society is fine. There is nothing out there worth our time, anyway," Gin said while smirking.

"That doesn't matter, Captain Ichimaru!" A small, petite female with black braids said harshly, "You failed to inform us about this. You also failed to kill the Ryokas."

"A captain should never fail to end their target," a large man wearing a ridiculous mask said. "How pathetic of you to do so,"

"Everyone makes mistakes every now and then. No use crying over spilled milk," Gin said casually.

"A mistake like that?! What a bunch of bullshit!" Another large, menacing figure with an incredible hair pattern said.

"Oh? What could you ever mean?" A short figure with white hair rolled his eyes.

"With your skill, this little meeting should have never taken place!"

"Silence!" The old man roared, stomping his cane into the floor. "Cease your petty arguments. We are here to question Captain Ichimaru about the incident. Now, explain your reasoning."

Pausing, Gin sighed, and began to reply to the question.

* * *

 **Shiba House**

"Ganju! Is this true?" Kūkaku asked, glaring at her younger brother.

Ganju turned to his sister, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Err… no-" He tried to say something, but was cut off by Kūkaku.

"Ganju, you know I don't like being lied to…" she said, as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"But I'm not- ARGHH!" Ganju was suddenly stomped on by Kūkaku, who had a fierce glare upon her face.

"You moron! What did I tell you about riding that thing? I should disown you for that stupidity; are you trying to sour the Shiba name?"

"But, Sis! You trust a Shinigami over your own brother?"

Kūkaku stopped her foot mid-stomp and stared at Ichigo, who simply waved sheepishly towards her.

"Next time you see my idiot brother doing something stupid… you tell me! Do you understand?" Kūkaku ordered Ichigo as he nodded. After that, she resumes to discipline her younger brother.

 ** _"We will do everything to make sure our children will never become like them,"_** Altria said.

 ** _"I agree. I don't want our children to fight like that,"_** Artoria said.

 _"We will make sure they will be raised in a loving environment,"_ Ichigo added, agreeing with his girlfriends.

After ten minutes of 'education', Kūkaku sighed as she hefted her brother onto his feet and brushed the dirt off his shoulders. Ichigo could have sworn he saw an almost disappointed look crossing Kūkaku's face, but it turned into nothing when he refocused his stare. Kūkaku led them into the underground basement, having Ganju open a door leading into a dark room.

"Here it is," she said proudly. "This is how I'm going to get you into the Seireitei!"

They stared in confusion and apprehension at the large device, which turned out to be the bottom of the cylindrical tower they had seen outside. "With this launcher, I'll get you into the Seireitei by going through the air _over the wall_."

Ichigo leaned closer to his group.

"Did she just say she was going to fire us out of a _rocket_?" Ichigo whispered.

"I think so…" Uryū replied with a gulp.

"Ganju, raise it up!" Kūkaku ordered. The floor began to rise, taking them above ground. "This is my one and only enhanced fireworks launch pad!" Kūkaku declared as she tossed a ball at Ichigo.

"What's this?" He asked.

"That's a Reishūkaku. Place your palms on it and concentrate your spirit energy," Kūkaku instructed. Ichigo held the orb in front of him. He took a deep breath and concentrated, as the orb began to glow. "That's it," Kūkaku told him. "You're doing it well!"

Suddenly, a large bubble surrounded him.

"Huh? What's this? What's going on?" Ichigo asked.

"When you pour your Reiatsu into a Reishūkaku, it creates a large bubble to protect all of you from the barrier. I will load all of you into my Kakaku Hō and shoot the bubble into the sky. It will punch a hole straight through the barrier," Kūkaku explained.

 ** _"She's insane,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"Yep. I really want to go back home now,"_** Altria said.

 _"Me too. But we can't,"_ Ichigo countered.

"Ganju, take them to the training room so they could practice using the Reishūkaku," Kūkaku ordered.

"Yes, Onē-sama," Ganju said, as he escorted them to the training room.

"When did you learn to control your Reiatsu?" Uryū asked.

"Tessai taught me when he was teaching me Kidō," Ichigo replied.

 ** _"It's a good thing we had you learn Reiatsu control,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"Yes, if you didn't have any control over your Reiatsu, then it would have blown in your face,"_** Altria added.

 _"Yeah, that would have posed some problems,"_ Ichigo drily admitted.

Chad, Orihime, and Uryū spent the rest of the day training to create the cannonball with their spirit energy. When Kūkaku and her servants were satisfied with their progress, they ate dinner and went to bed.

* * *

 **Next Day**

Kūkaku woke them at dawn.

"You ready, kids?!" Kūkaku shouted, tapping the cannon, "You got a hell of a task ahead."

"I'm ready," Ichigo said.

"Sorry to keep you waiting..." Ganju said, running outside in a much, much more casual gear than what he was wearing earlier and went to Ichigo "My brother was killed by a Shinigami!" Ganju suddenly revealed in a sad tone.

"Ganju, stop!" Kūkaku yelled at him.

"I need to go! I need to know why! I need to know why my brother was betrayed and killed by his own fellow Shinigamis! I should hate you just because you're a Shinigami, but my gut is telling me I should. Maybe coming on this journey may allow me to understand what happened."

Ichigo nodded, silently accepting him.

"If you have made your mind, then go; but don't you dare get killed!" Kūkaku said.

They were still groggy as she led them to the cannon.

"The sun will be rising soon. That's when we'll begin the launching ceremony,"

The group plus Ganju gathered inside the cannon. They sat around the Reishūkaku.

"Listen, once we are in the Seireitei, it is very important we stick together. In case we get scattered and if you encounter any Captain, do not fight them. Just run away. Our only objective is to rescue Rukia. Do not take any unnecessary risks," Yoruichi instructed them.

At Kūkaku's signal, they held the Reishūkaku and began to pour their Reiatsu into it.

"Yonder, brown avarice covet control of the 36 directions. 72 pairs of illusions, 13 pairs of hunting horns, the right hand of a monkey grasps the star. Embraced by the sun of 25 rings, the cradle of the sand gives forth blood!" Kūkaku shouted. The Kakaku Hō fired, sending them high into the air. Once they began to change course towards Seireitei, Ganju took over by pulling out a sheet of paper.

"Fate of the three sparrows, bond of the four dragons, obstructing the five directions, return to the six villages. Heavenly wind, orangutan, spoon, cane of elm, a thousand ashes, a thousand wisdoms, the measure of white clouds, tread not on the scarlet light which embraces the moon," Ganju chanted to keep their Reishūkaku 's energy levels stable.

Ichigo, Uryū, Orihime, and Chad all stared at the sights they saw the Seireitei come into view, but they were stopped in mid-air.

* * *

 **Inside the Seireitei**

 **"Red Alert! The is a breach in Seireitei! All divisions report to battle stations immediately!"** An automatic intercom system shouted. Shinigamis everywhere started running and getting themselves into positions. Inside the captains' meeting, they were discussing about the Ryokas who was capable of injure a Captain and what to do with them, when they suddenly heard the message.

"A breach inside the Seireitei?" The captain of Division Five, Sōsuke Aizen asked. "Could it be those Ryokas?" He uttered while looking at the other captains with a look of pure disbelief.

Before anyone could say or do anything else, they heard the footsteps of someone running. They all turned towards the door to see the Captain of Division Eleven, Kenpachi Zaraki, running out of the room. "Wait, Kenpachi! Where are you going?!" asked Aizen, but he never received an answer.

Suddenly, there was a loud booming sound which echoed throughout the room. All of the captains turned towards the old man with the long beard sitting at the head of the room with a staff in his hand. He then looked at all the captains and spoke.

"This divisional meeting is hereby dismissed. All divisions are to heed the alert and report immediately to their battle stations," He ordered. All of the captains began walking out of the room and go back to their divisions.

Every Soul Reaper inside the Seireitei stopped what they were doing and looked up. There was something glowing in the sky, and it was headed for the Seireitei.

"What is that up there!?" A random Soul Reaper asked.

"Whatever it is, the soul shield membrane should stop it," Captain Aizen said, as he and his division watched the object approaching the Seireitei at a high rate of speed.

"Just in case… we probably should clear the area," Lieutenant Hinamori suggested, as the glowing thing split into four parts and crashed inside Seireitei in four different directions.

* * *

 **Repentance Cell**

Rukia sat in her cell, with her hands raised trying to block out the automated system's sound. Despite sitting in her cell well away from the impact area, she knew the identity of all four of the Ryokas. She knew their purpose here, wishing she was blessed with ignorance.

"Why did you come for me?" She said, and started crying, as she thought he will be killed for sure.

* * *

 **Eleventh Division Barracks**

Ichigo and Ganju were separated from the others. As they were falling, Ichigo pulled out the invisible Excalibur and used it to slow down his decent, landing on his feet. Ichigo looked to see Ganju used an unknown Kidō to turn the ground into sand, softening his impact.

"Now, where are we supposed to go?" Ichigo mumbled as he has no idea where Rukia is being held in.

"Depends where you want to go," A voice said from above. Ichigo and Ganju looked above them to see two people standing there. One of them was a bald man, while the other man had feathers in his hair and above his left eye.

"We have to get out of here! Those two are really strong!" Ganju whispered in Ichigo's ear.

"So am I," Ichigo replied.

"Well then, I'll be your challenger," The bald man said.

"Fine by me," Ichigo replied.

"I am out of here," Ganju said, running away.

"Yumichika, get him!" The man ordered.

"Got it," Yumichika answered as he ran after Ganju.

 ** _"When we were leaving, he showed such determination, but now look at him; running away like a coward,"_** Altria said, snorting.

 ** _"Well, if the opponent is strong, then running away is not a wrong option,"_** Artoria countered.

 _"Artoria is correct. Live today. Fight tomorrow,"_ Ichigo said in his mind.

"Not going to help him?" The bald man asked.

Ichigo shrugged. "He came here on his own volition, so he should be able to take care of himself," He said.

"Boy, I'm lucky to think I would get a chance to fight a dual wielder, and he is right in front of me," The bald Shinigami grinned, as he finally noticed Ichigo had two Zanpakutos in his hips. "Lucky. Lucky. Luuuuuccccccky!" The bald one began to chant, dancing on his tippy-toes while brandishing his still sheathed sword in its scabbard.

 _"Is there any way I can forget what I just saw?"_ Ichigo asked, horrified at what his bald opponent was doing.

" ** _I wish there was,"_** Artoria replied.

 ** _"It's a cursed memory which will never leave our minds,"_** Altria said.

"My name is Madarame Ikkaku. What is yours?"

" Ichigo Kurosaki," Ichigo replied, as he pulled out Excalibur and Morgan, both still invisible, from their sheaths.

As Ikkaku heard his name, he grinned even wider, drawing his sword and holding out the sheath. When he looked back at Ichigo, he was shocked, as there was no apparent Zanpakutōs in Ichigo's hand. Ichigo used Ikkaku's shock to his advantage, charging in to slash Ikkaku's chest. Ikkaku regaining his bearing quickly, barely managing to dodge Ichigo's attack, though the young man continued to attack Ikkaku, not wanting to let go of the momentum. Ikkaku parried Ichigo's swings with his sheath, and counterattacked by using his katana to stab Ichigo. Ichigo used Invisible Air to push himself away from Ikkaku.

"Just what kind of swords are those?!" Ikkaku asked in a shocked and confused voice.

"Who said these are swords? They could be axes, or a spear, or even a bow and arrow," Ichigo replied, smirking.

"No, those are not _spears_. I know spears, and what you are holding are definitely not spears," Ikkaku said, replying with a grin.

 _'It seems his Zanpakuto's released form is a spear,'_ Ichigo thought.

 ** _"The way he said that means it's definitely a spear,"_** Altria agreed.

 ** _"But he could also be lying in hoping to make you think his Zanpakutō is a spear,"_** Artoria countered.

 _"That is also possibility as well,"_ Ichigo commented.

"Don't get distracted!" Ikkaku yelled as he charged at Ichigo.

Ichigo easily blocked the incoming attack with Morgan, parrying the follow-up throw of Ikkaku's sheath with Excalibur, before using the opening to attack Ikkaku's head. the baldie barely dodge the potential killing blow, but still received a cut on his right side of the forehead. Ikkaku jumped away from Ichigo to retrieved his sheath.

"I can't hold back against you," Ichigo said, as he watched Ikkaku turned the end of the sheath and pulled some kind of cream from a secret compartment. He applied some of that cream on his head wound, immediately stopping the bleeding.

"Tell me, who is your master?" Ikkaku asked.

"I learned a lot of my skills from my Zanpakutōs spirits." Ikkaku nodded in appreciation, before Ichigo continued, "But I was trained with a man for only ten days, so… I don't know if he could be called my master."

"Who is he?" Ikkaku asked again in curiosity.

"Kisuke Urahara."

Ikkaku's eyes widened as Ichigo said that name. "So… _he's_ your master. In that case, it would be disrespectful to fight you without giving it my all!" Ikkaku put his Zanpakutō and sheath together in front of him. **"Extend, Hozukimaru!"** He yelled. A blast of wind surrounded Ikkaku's Zanpakutō and sheath, before breaking apart to reveal a spear with a wax wood shaft and a red horsehair tassel at the end.

 _'So it really **is** a spear. I can also use my release, but I want to save my strength for later,'_ Ichigo thought.

Ikkaku brandished his new weapon. "Here I go! Ichigo, you don't have the time to get surprised!"

"Yeah, right," Ichigo replied as he backed away from the charging Ikkaku.

 _'His reach is longer now, but if I get in close, the advantage is all mine,'_ Ichigo thought as he charged towards Ikkaku. He deflected the spear with Morgan as he continued towards his opponent with Excalibur. _'Now I got him!'_ Ichigo thought. Ichigo looked and saw Ikkaku grinning wildly, placing him into a guard.

"Split apart, Hozukimaru!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as the spear split into three sections, each connected by a chain. The first section swung around Ichigo, it's blade aiming straight at his head. Ichigo used Invisible Air to push himself away from Ikkaku instantly. Due to the angle Hozukimaru's blade was at, Ichigo got a small cut over his right eye. Immediately, Avalon's passive ability activated, as golden Reiatsu appeared and covered the small cut healing it.

"When did you release your Shikai?"' Ikkaku asked. He was confused about the invisible blade, Ichigo's sudden burst of speed, and the healing ability.

"One of my Zanpakutō's ability allows me to use their Shikai abilities without releasing the blades," Ichigo explained once again, shocking Ikkaku.

This time, he didn't approach with his normal speed, but added Invisible Air into his charge, catching Ikkaku off guard with a slash to the chest. The cut was shallow, but the sheer blunt force slammed him into a nearby wall, incapacitating him.

"Damn it!" Ikkaku muttered as he collapsed.

"Can you tell me where Rukia Kuchiki is being held? Ichigo asked.

"Why do you want to know that?" Ikkaku asked in a low voice, starting to lose consciousness, as Hozukimaru transformed back into its sealed state.

"Because I came here to save her," Ichigo said.

"…Go south from here. You'll arrive at the stations for the Gotei 13. Make a right and walk to the end of all the stations. You'll see a tall white tower. That's where the prisoner's being held," Ikkaku answered.

"You have that cream in your sheath, right? Here, you can use it," Ichigo said as he handed Ikkaku his Zanpakutō. Ikkaku carefully grabbed his Zanpakutō as he tried to use the ointment from his hidden compartment.

"Are you the strongest in your group?" Ikkaku asked.

"I am," Ichigo replied.

Ikkaku smiled. "Then watch out for my Captain. He is not interested in weaklings. If you are the strongest one, he'll be coming for you," Ikkaku warned Ichigo.

"Is he powerful?" Ichigo asked.

"You'll see when you meet him," Ikkaku said with a chuckle.

Ichigo sensed Ganju's Reiatsu and located him hidden behind a shed. Ichigo grabbed him and they began to walk towards the Repentance Cell, when suddenly someone bumped into them. Ichigo looked down to see short male Shinigami with blue eyes and chin-length black hair, with bangs framing the side of his face. He wore a standard uniform, with what appears to be a small sack of some kind on his back.

"There they are!" Another new voice shouted.

"Let me at 'em!"

"Kill them!"

"Damn it!" Ichigo groaned. He pulled out Morgan and fired a small Reiatsu burst as the mob of Shinigami.

"GAH!"

Ichigo grabbed Ganju and used Invisible Air to escape. Unbeknownst to Ichigo, Ganju accidently grabbed the short Shinigami from earlier. Ichigo found an empty room to hide in, before he and Ganju turned to their guest.

"My name is Hanatarō Yamada. It's nice to meet you," The newly-named Hanatarō told them.

Ichigo stared at him.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.

"I kind of grabbed him when we were running away," Ganju sheepishly said as he looked sideways.

"How can you grab someone just like that?!" Ichigo asked with disbelief.

"You're the people who have come here to save Rukia Kuchiki, aren't you?" Hanatarō asked. Ichigo was surprised at Hanatarō's question. "I thought so," Hanatarō said. "I can help you. I know a hidden way into that tower," he revealed.

Ichigo looked at Hanatarō for a few seconds. _"Do you two think he is leading us in a trap?"_ Ichigo asked to Artoria and Altria.

 ** _"It could be a possibility,"_** Altria said.

 ** _"He doesn't look like he can do anything bad, but we shouldn't judge a book by its cover,"_** Artoria said.

 _"Yeah, I should ask him for his reasons,"_ Ichigo responded to Artoria and Altria. "Why are you helping us?"

Hanatarō looked at Ichigo with a sad look on his face before he began to talk.

"I was one of the healers who were assigned to monitor Rukia's health when she was still in the Sixth Division Cells. I didn't know why, but she started opening upto me. She told me a lot about you, Ichigo. She told me how you always help everyone and how kind you are," He said, which caused a surprised look to form on Ichigo's face. "Please save her; you've got to save Rukia…!" He begged Ichigo.

"Very well. Show us the way," Ichigo said.

The short young man led them through Seireitei's sewer system, completely bypassing all the Shinigami patrols. After walking for a while, Hanatarō stopped. Ichigo looked at him and was about to ask why, but Hanatarō spoke first.

"This is where we need to get out in order to reach the Repentance Cell," he said, pointing to the ladder.

Ichigo nodded and began climbing up. When he peeked up at the top, he saw they'd arrived at an open courtyard, but with a thick fog covering the entire place, so it was extremely hard to see. Ichigo carefully climbed out, followed by Hanatarō and Ganju. Hanatarō pointed out a white tower in a distance behind some larger buildings. "That was the Repentance Cell,"

"The mist is starting to clear up. Time to move," Ichigo said.

They started walking before Ichigo suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Hanatarō asked.

"There is someone up ahead," Ichigo said.

After a few seconds, the mist cleared away to reveal someone standing there.

"It's been awhile. I wonder if you still remember me," The mysterious person spoke.

"Renji Abarai," Ichigo said.

Hanatarō gasped. "That's Renji Abarai, the Lieutenant of Sixth Division!"

"Get back, you two," Ichigo ordered. Hanatarō and Ganju did as told and ran to the back and stayed there.

"I am quite surprised to see you. I thought you would have been dead after that attack from Captain Kuchiki," Renji said as he approached.

"I recalled he had to step in to save his lieutenant from being killed," Ichigo said, making Renji growl.

"You seem to think just because you fought me once before means you know my true power. Well, let me enlighten on an interesting fact: Whenever a lieutenant or captain-level Shinigami are sent to the World of the Living, severe limiters are placed on their powers, to prevent any affect to the residence there. My strength right now is five times what it was the day we met! So, no matter how confident you are or how strong you've become, there is still no way you can defeat me!" Renji spoke as he pulled his Zanpakutō out.

Ichigo simply chuckled. "I didn't know a Lieutenant needed his Shikai and his limiter to be released in order to defeat a human?" Ichigo teased.

"Wait a sec… how can you have two Zanpakutōs!? Last time, you had only one!" Renji asked when he noticed Ichigo had two handles on his hips.

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out… if you have enough brainpower, that is," Ichigo said.

"Why, you!" Renji yelled as he lunged towards Ichigo.

Ichigo stood there, waiting for the right moment, before using basic Iaijutsu to unsheathe both his blades _just_ to block the attack. The impact created a shockwave strong enough to crack the ground they were standing on.

"What is up with your Zanpakutōs? There isn't even a handle, so how are you doing it?" Renji angrily asked.

"As I said earlier: That is for me to know, and for you to find out!" Ichigo said, as he pushed Renji away and attacked him with a downward strike. "What do you hope to accomplish by facing me?" Ichigo asked.

"I am going to kill you, and then Rukia will finally get her powers back!" Renji yelled as he blocked the attack and tried to counter.

Ichigo easily dodged the attack, though, before using Invisible Air launch himself right next to Renji. Before the redhead could do anything, Ichigo swung Morgan, hitting Renji in the arm. Renji jumped back to look at his shallow cut.

"If that is the reason, why you're fighting me? You are truly an idiot!" Ichigo declared.

"What are you talking about!?" Renji growled.

"You think killing me is going to get Rukia back her powers? Even if she regains her powers back, do you think they would suddenly stop her execution?" Ichigo asked. Renji stopped as he glared at Ichigo. "If you honestly believe that, then you not only an idiot, but you are also naïve!"

Renji growled as he placed his hand near the bronze tsuba and swiped the blade to the tip of the blade.

 **"Roar, Zabimaru!"**

His Zanpakutō transformed into an even longer 6-part segmented blade; each segment is wider than the one preceding it from the hilt, with 2 pick-like protrusions on the front and back of each segment, the ones on the front much longer than the ones on the back.

Renji then swung his blade like a whip, letting it race towards Ichigo. Despite its wild movements, the latter easily sidestepped the wavy motion. Like before with Gin, Ichigo used the moment Renji pulling back his blade to burst forward with Invisible Air plus Shunpō, making the redhead desperately dodging a few feet away.

Growling, Renji swung Zabimaru again, only for Ichigo to stand his ground and accumulate his Reiatsu into his two swords. Firing both golden-black bursts into Renji, they barely missed due to the lieutenant shifting Zabimaru to parry the incoming attack, letting it destroy the building behind him.

"So, that's your Shikai's ability? It allows you to fire concentrated Reiatsu out of the blade," Renji said.

"You neither wrong nor right," Ichigo said with a smirk.

"Yea, and what is wrong or right about that?" Renji asked angrily.

"You're right to say that is one of my Shikai's abilities, but wrong about my Shikai's state."

Renji's eyes widened when he realized what Ichigo said. "You mean you can use your Shikai's abilities while they're sealed!?"

"Correct," Ichigo smirked as he used Invisible Air to get in close to Renji again.

Renji rushed to swing Zabimaru at Ichigo, but he simply smirked as he slashed down with a Reiatsu burst from each blade, now at near-point blank.

Renji brought his Zanpakutō up hoping to block the invisible blades, but that's one of his weaknesses: Zabimaru's segmented form meant his opponents could swerve their way around the blades into the gaps in-between. Predictably, Ichigo's attack tore through Zabimaru and sent Renji flying into another building, reverting it back to its sealed state. Ichigo looked on to see Renji's chest has two big cuts in his chest.

 _'What just happened? Did I lose? Damn it!'_ He thought. Renji grabbed the front of his kimono. "All this time, I've been blaming you for the fact that Rukia's imprisoned. Every time I thought of you, it made my blood boil…!" Renji said.

Ichigo carefully approached Renji.

"But I was wrong. It wasn't you; it was _me_ from the start. Because I didn't stop Rukia from going to the Kuchiki family. I didn't want her to go, but I thought she'd find happiness there...! How could I have known she'd end up a condemned criminal?! And I wanted so badly to surpass Captain Kuchiki for taking Rukia from me. I trained with only that thought in mind. But even to this day, not once have I been able to beat him. He's just too strong," Renji began to cry he grab Ichigo's shihakushō. "So, Ichigo, as now I'm swallowing my shame and my pride, I'm asking you to save Rukia. Will you promise? I'm begging you, save her!"

 _"Did he just confess his feelings to Rukia in front of us?"_ Ichigo snarkily addressed his girlfriends, who both chuckled at the smart comment.

"You can count on it, Renji. I won't let anything happen to Rukia," Ichigo said, determined. Renji smiled. His hand released Ichigo's shihakushō as he fainted at Ichigo's feet.

 ** _"He must have been holding it in for years,"_** Artoria said, as she pitied him.

"Come on, you two; we need to get out of here," Ichigo called out to his two new colleagues, motioning to the sewers. "Let's just lay low there until things calm down, okay?"

Fortunately, as soon as Ichigo placed the sewer lid back, a group of Shinigami appeared, led by Lieutenant Kira. When Kira saw Renji's state, he immediately began casting healing Kidō on his wound and Shunpō'ed him to the Fourth Division.

"Hang in there, Renji…!"

* * *

 **First Division Meeting Hall**

In the First Division's Meeting Hall, all the captains were standing there, waiting for the emergency captains' meeting to start, except for the Captain of the Thirteen division who was absent. Soon, the Head Captain Yamamoto entered the meeting hall. He sat on his seat and slammed his cane down, starting the meeting.

"This situation has become critical. As a result of recent events, the Gotei 13 are now short by one lieutenant. We cannot afford to leave these matters in the hands of lower rank officers and members. At this time, all captains and lieutenants are allowed to carry their Zanpakutō at all times, with authorization to use their full powers," Head Captain Yamamoto ordered.

"They're allowed to carry the Zanpakuto at all times?" Kaname Tōsen, the Captain of Ninth Division, asked.

"We're allowed to use our full power!" Kenpachi cheered, grinning. "Couldn't be happier!"

"Everyone, let us declare all-out war on these Ryoka!" The Head Captain yelled and slammed his cane once more on the floor.

* * *

 **Next Morning**

They began moving again as soon as Hanatarō woke up Ichigo and Ganju up, climbing back up the ladder. After checking to see no one was there, Ichigo moved the sewer lid as they all climbed out of the sewer.

"She is up those stairs," Hanatarō pointed.

Everyone began to walk up the long stairs to get to the top.

"Damn it, these stairs are way too long! How long until we get there!" Ganju whined.

"Keep walking!" Ichigo yelled back, as they eventually made it to the top of the stairs.

"W-We finally made it…" Ganju announced, gasping, as he collapsed onto the ground.

"That's strange… There no guards up here," Hanatarō mentioned.

Ichigo looked around, and Hanatarō was right. There is no guard up here.

"Isn't that good? If there are no guards, then we can charge straight in there," Ganju asked.

"It's been hundreds of years since anyone ever broke into the Seireitei. I guess they don't know what to do," Hanatarō guessed.

"I don't think that is the case. There's something else going on here," Ichigo said.

 ** _"Think; if we beat a Lieutenant, then they must know we are very powerful,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"So that means it will be useless to send anyone below Lieutenant's level,"_** Altria said.

 _"Someone who is Captain level is here, then?"_

"We have to hurry; we can't stay here for too long!" Ichigo urged.

Suddenly, an enormous amount of Reiatsu crashed down on them. They froze in place due to the weight.

"What! What the hell is this?" Ganju demanded.

Slowly, a man walked towards them.

\- Jingle.

"Are you Ichigo Kurosaki?" The man asked when he stopped in place. Clearly, the sound from earlier came from him.

Ichigo pulled his invisible Zanpakutōs from their sheaths and swung them at the stranger without hesitation or warning, such was what his instincts were telling at him. The man smiled as he blocked the invisible swords.

"Nice one!" The man complimented.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked.

"Come on… I'm sure Ikkaku already told you, no?"

* * *

 _"Are you the strongest in your group?" Ikkaku asked._

 _"I am," Ichigo replied._

 _Ikkaku smiled. "Then watch out for my Captain. He is not interested in weaklings. If you are the strongest one, he'll be coming for you," Ikkaku warned Ichigo._

 _"Is he powerful?" Ichigo asked._

 _"You'll see when you meet him," Ikkaku said with a chuckle._

* * *

"I'm Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division, and I'm here to fight you to the death," He declared.

Ichigo jumped back to get some distance between them, sensing the danger the man possessed. One glance behind him revealed Hanatarō had fainted and Ganju was on his knees, affected by the man's massive Reiatsu.

"Wow! Look at all that drool!"

Ichigo was shocked when a toddler appeared on his shoulder. She wore a Shinigami and had pink hair.

"You scared him pretty bad, Kenny!" The pink haired girl said childishly.

"Well, what did you expect? Those two are weaklings," Kenpachi replied.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked

"I'm Yachiru Kusajishi, Lieutenant of Eleventh Division!" she said, cheerfully.

 _'She is not a normal Shinigami. I can tell she is a soul, but there's something else…?'_ He thought.

"Ganju, get Hanatarō out of here," Ichigo ordered.

"Are you crazy?" Ganju yelled. "You can't win against him!"

"Just go. I'll join you as soon as I can. I will have to fight him with almost my full power, and I can't guarantee I won't kill you by mistake," Ichigo said calmly.

"All right," Ganju relented, as he carried Hanatarō and walked ahead.

"You won't go after them?" Ichigo asked as he readied himself.

"I don't care about them. The only thing I want is to fight you. Yachiru, I will be fighting him now," Kenpachi said to Yachiru.

"Okay, Kenny!" Yachiru said, as she disappeared using Shunpō.

"You have a good stance. I can't find even one opening," Kenpachi looked at Ichigo and praised.

"I have learned from two of the world's best swordswomen, after all," Ichigo said proudly.

His words elicited a strange grin from the larger man. Before, his expression was full of bloodthirst, like an animal barely restrained by a leash. However, listening to Ichigo's answer, Kenpachi replied in a surprisingly soft voice, "Haha… Well, so was I. You also have a lot of power as well; no wonder any of the other lieutenants would lose to you. I am different, though; I'll give you a chance," Kenpachi said, as he opened his Haori, revealing his bare chest, "Cut my anywhere!"

"Now what kind of dumb trap is that?"

"No tricks. No traps. Hit me with everything you have."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the taunt. _"What do the two of you think?"_ Ichigo asked his Zanpakutōs.

 ** _"Use all the advantage you have. Don't hold back even a shred,"_** Altria said.

 ** _"I agree. But be cautious as well. We don't know what he can do,"_** Artoria advised.

With a similar move he used against Renji – Invisible Air plus Reiatsu Burst Slash –the attack only made a small cut on Kenpachi's chest.

The orange-haired boy calmly backed off after the one try, earning Kenpachi's respectful laugh. _'Well, I guess this is the difference between a lieutenant and a captain…'_

"Finally!" Kenpachi said, cackling, "A strong opponent. This is what I was waiting for!" Kenpachi yelled as he drew his sword. The edges were chipped in numerous, the blade looked like it had been through hell.

 _'How can someone treat their Zanpakutō like that…?!"_ Ichigo thought sadly.

Kenpachi charged towards Ichigo, as he raised his Zanpakutō up and slashed down towards Ichigo. The strike was simple, but simply done with tremendous power and speed, as the shockwave of Ichigo blocking the blows created crater after crater behind them. They're able to be repeated quickly as well, giving no space for Ichigo to counter.

"Those invisible swords of yours are really something!" Kenpachi said, insanely giggling.

"Thank you. I am really the luckiest man in the world to wield someone like them," He said, as he made Artoria and Altria blush without knowing.

 _"He is not someone I can fight with holding back. I have to use my Shikai; will you two help me?"_ Ichigo pleaded to Artoria and Altria.

 ** _"Do you even have to ask?"_** Altria replied.

 ** _"We will always be with you to face everything together!"_** Artoria answered.

 _"Thank you,"_ Ichigo said, as he disabled Invisible Air; revealing their black and white sealed form. Ichigo pointed them towards the sky.

 **"The breath of the planet gathers. The torrent of life shines,"** Ichigo began to chant. Golden Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's left side. **"Hammer of the Vile King. Overturn the aurora. Swallow the light!"** Black Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's right side. **"Swords of Starlight, thou shalt obliterate! EXCALIBUR MORGAN!"** Ichigo yelled. The golden and black Reiatsu exploded around and enveloped him.

Kenpachi's eyes widened at the revealed beauty of the Zanpakutōs, as with their respective scabbards and Ichigo's dramatic increase in Reiatsu.

"This Reiatsu…!" Kenpachi cackled. "Your power has increased so much! _Now_ we are going to have some fun," he said, with a bloodthirsty grin on his face.

"Why don't you also release your Shikai, so we end this quickly?" Ichigo suggested.

"My Zanpakutō doesn't have a name," Kenpachi answered, surprising Ichigo. "My sword is completely out in the open. It has never had a sealed state. What you see here is the true form of my Zanpakuto," Kenpachi said as he held his Zanpakuto up for Ichigo to look at.

Deep in thought, Ichigo's hair shadowed his eyes. "You are one of those who think a Zanpakutō is only a weapon, and believe all they need is their power alone, aren't you?" Ichigo said, as he tightened his grip on his Zanpakutos, giving Kenpachi a deadly glare. "I'll teach you a lesson for treating your Zanpakuto like a tool!" Ichigo said, calmly but furiously.

Ichigo used once again used Invisible Air to get close to Kenpachi, using a similar move as before. Unlike last time, though, the attack managed to make a large, long cut on Kenpachi's left shoulder. Ichigo was about to continue wailing on, when he sensed Chad's slowly diminishing Reiatsu levels.

 ** _"Ichigo, focus!"_** Altria yelled.

 ** _"Chad will be fine, Ichigo. Focus on your fight!"_** Artoria said.

 _"Thank you,"_ Ichigo said. As he paid more attention to his opponent, Kenpachi just realized he was cut by Ichigo's attack.

"I am sorry, but I am going finish this quickly," Ichigo declared as he stepped back from Kenpachi to form a stance.

"Finish this quickly?" Kenpachi asked, while still looking at his shoulder, pretending to be insulted. "There is no way I can allow you to do that when we are having so much fun!" Kenpachi screamed, as he pulled of his eyepatch, "Against you, I might as well go all out!"

Suddenly, a tower of yellow Reiatsu shot up to the sky.

"What nasty secret were you hiding behind that eye patch of yours?" Ichigo asked.

"As if I would stoop so low!" Kenpachi said as he flipped the eyepatch over.

Ichigo was horrified at what he saw. On the back of the eye patch, suction cups with sharp teeth lined it.

"I had the Twelfth Division create this little monster for me. It is designed to consume the huge amount of Reiatsu I generate in order for all those weaklings can still stand when they fight me. Now that I've taken it off, I am going to use 100% of my Reiatsu to kill you," Kenpachi said, as he charged at Ichigo with another downward strike.

It was both sharper and stronger, as Ichigo dodged the attack. The air Kenpachi's blade created from the force of his swing travelled far and destroyed a nearby building. Ichigo charged back in as he clashed with Kenpachi head-on with different strikes from Morgan and Excalibur.

"Yes! This is so much fun!" Kenpachi yelled as the Reiatsu tower slowly formed into a skull behind him. Every time Ichigo would hit Kenpachi's Zanpakutō, he would hear someone screaming in pain.

 ** _"You could hear it…!"_** Artoria said, horrified.

" _Kenpachi's Zanpakutō…"_ Ichigo said.

 ** _"Yes. She screams in pain and frustration…!"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"Her idiot of a master isn't able to hear her at all_** ," Altria added.

 ** _"Show him what it means to fight together!"_** Artoria urged.

 _"My pleasure!"_ Ichigo replied. Ichigo took a deep breath as he gathered his Reiatsu.

The golden and black Reiatsu tower appeared, taking on the shape of a western dragon's head made of similar colours. **(1)**

"Even now, your Reiatsu continues to rise?" Kenpachi inquired, smiling.

"Because I am fighting with _Excalibur_ and _Morgan_ ," Ichigo responded. "Their powers and mine are one, unlike you."

Kenpachi smirked. "Fighting together with your Zanpakutōs, huh... They are just _weapons_. That's the approach of a weakling who doesn't have their own strength to rely on!"

"No," Ichigo said. "It's the approach of someone who knows he is never alone!"

They charged at each other. When the three swords clashed, the shockwaves practically obliterated everything around them. The ground and all the nearby buildings were destroyed at the incredible power coming from them. When the dust cleared, Ichigo and Kenpachi were standing facing each other – Ichigo had a big, clean gash on his right side of chest, while Kenpachi looked like he had been through a meat shredder. His whole body was covered cuts and blood.

"I guess you beat me… This was the most fun I've… ever… had…" Kenpachi said, before he fell unconscious.

 ** _"That was very good, Ichigo!"_** Altria praised.

 ** _"You showed him what it means to fight together!"_** Artoria lovingly cooed.

 _"Hopefully, he will learn from this,"_ Ichigo said, as he used Excalibur's scabbard to slowly heal the wound on this chest.

Suddenly, Yachiru appeared and picked Kenpachi on her tiny shoulder.

"Thank you for playing with Kenny, Ichi. Thank you for trying to teach Kenny an important lesson! Try to stay alive for Kenny to play with you again!" She said, before disappeared with Kenpachi. Ichigo just stared at the spot where she was, before sealing his Zanpakutos and re-covering them with Invisible Air.

"She really isn't a normal soul," Ichigo said to himself. Ichigo then began trying to locate Chad's Reiatsu but could find him. _"So you have been captured my friend,"_ Ichigo thought. Suddenly, Ichigo could sense Ganju's Reiatsu, too, dropping down to a dangerous level.

 ** _"Ichigo, you have to be careful! You have used most of your Reiatsu when fighting that war mongrel and then healing your wound,"_** Altria warned.

 ** _"And your stamina has also lowered as well, so you can't use Morgan's sheath to restore your Reiatsu right now,"_** Artoria added.

 _"Yes, I know,"_ Ichigo said, as he used Invisible Air to move faster, trying to reach the Repentance Cell as fast as possible.

* * *

 **Repentance Cell**

Hanatarō was standing with Rukia and Ganju, severely injured from Byakuya's attack. Byakuya looked at Hanatarō, raising his Zanpakutō, ready to kill the traitor.

"No, Brother! Stop!" Rukia yelled, trying to stop her brother.

But he ignored her and simply swung down... only for someone to grab his hand. Byakuya turned around to see the Captain of Thirteenth Division holding his wrist.

"That was a close one," the Thirteenth Division Captain said. "I think that's enough, Captain Kuchiki."

"What are you doing here, Captain Ukitake?" Byakuya asked.

"Well, I would ask you the same thing. Releasing your Zanpakutō in a place like this is a first-class offense, even if it is to repel the Ryokas. What were you thinking, Captain Kuchiki? This isn't like you, who's well-versed in Seireitei's laws…?" Ukitake asked.

"The Head Captain authorized unrestricted use of a Zanpakutō to deal with the Ryokas," Byakuya answered, surprising Captain Ukitake.

"He did?" Ukitake asked in a surprised voice, "Has the Ryoka invasion gotten that bad? Was it a Ryoka who killed Captain Aizen?"

Before Byakuya could reply, a large amount of Reiatsu crashed down on everyone.

"What spiritual pressure!" Ukitake said in a shocked voice. "This is undoubtedly a captain-level Reiatsu, but I don't recognize this one!"

Byakuya narrowed his eyes, as he knew who this Reiatsu belong to. Suddenly, someone landed on the bridge in front of Byakuya.

It was Ichigo.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Byakuya gritted out, as he glared at the invading Ryoka.

"Byakuya Kuchiki." Said Ichigo with the same amount of venom as they both glaring at each other.

* * *

 **Notes**

 **1)** **Either look up "dragon head looking down wall mount" or Ddraig's head from high school DxD.**

* * *

 ** _And the second chapter is done. I hope you all enjoy it. I have thought hard about the pairing and decided that this story will not be a harem. Not only that,_**

 ** _IchigoxArtoriaxAltria pairing beat the harem pair by one vote; when I had decided to close it. I was also thinking about a different story where I make Ichigo a heroic spirit where he will be summoned in bleach cannon. What do you guys think about this idea? If you guys want to read about that then I will post a chapter about that story in next five days. Please leave a review._**

 ** _Next time: Traitors and Heading back home_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	3. Traitors and Heading back home

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester:_** ** _ThunderReborn and ekaterina016_**

* * *

 ** _Recap:_** _"What spiritual pressure!" Ukitake in a shocked voice. "This is undoubtedly a captain-level Reiatsu, but I don't recognize this Reiatsu!"_

 _Byakuya narrowed his eyes, as he knew who this Reiatsu belong to. Suddenly, someone landed on the bridge in front of Byakuya, revealing himself to be Ichigo._

 _"Ichigo Kurosaki," Byakuya said, as he glared at the invading Ryoka._

 _"Byakuya Kuchiki," Ichigo greeted with the same amount of venom, as they both glared at each other._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 3: Traitors and Heading back home_**

* * *

"Kūkaku will be really angry if she saw him in this condition," Ichigo mumbled as he looked at them. "Are you alright, Hanatarō?" Hanatarō nodded.

"So, you're alive. You should have just lived with the chance you had. Now, you've given it up," Byakuya voiced, as he glanced at Ichigo's form.

"I told you not to come after me! I told you I would never forgive you if you did! I wou-" Rukia yelled, but she was cut off.

"I don't have time for your yelling and blabbering. Keep quiet," Ichigo barked, as he looked at Byakuya, only for him to already disappear from sight, reappearing in front of Ichigo, and slashed down. However, he was surprised to see Ichigo pulling out the Invisible Morgan to block the attack, widening his eyes in shock.

"How were you able to block my attack? You're not even wielding anything... unless that's the power of your Zanpakutō?"

"Now, why would I tell you that?" Ichigo said seriously. But before Byakuya could say anything back to him, he was cut off.

"Captain Kuchiki. Who is this boy, who resembles _him_ so much?" Ukitake asked, surprise and shock covering his face.

"He is not the one you think off. This boy is _nothing_. I'll take care of him right now. **Scatter** -" Byakuya started.

Suddenly, a woman with dark skin, purple hair and yellow eyes appeared and used a white ribbon to interrupt Byakuya's Shikai release.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, pointing one of his invisible Excalibur at the woman, with Invisible Morgan still pointed at Byakuya.

"You really don't recognize me, Ichigo?" The purple haired woman asked with a smirk on her face.

"I certainly have never met you," Ichigo said, to her. "…In this form, at least," he added at the end, now having an inkling on the woman's identity through her accent.

"Yoruichi Shihōin, ex-captain of the Second Division… I thought you've long died!" Byakuya stated.

Ichigo looked mildly surprised, but with the older man confirming his hunch, he refocused quickly. However, he _was_ surprised when Yoruichi decided to try punching him in the gut. Quickly using Invisible Air to get away, he glared and yelled, amidst Byakuya's confused stare.

"Why are you attacking me?! Are you with them all along?!" Ichigo asked while pointing his swords at her.

"Ichigo, we have to get out of here. You can't fight Byakuya as you are right now!" Yoruichi explained, urgently rushing towards Ichigo even now.

"Don't worry; I can u-" He was cut off when Yoruichi appeared in front of him and finally managing to punch him in the gut, successfully knocking him out, and placed the unconscious boy on her shoulder.

" _Three days_ , and I will make this boy stronger than you. Chase us if you wish, but you won't be able to catch me," Yoruichi said, as she disappeared.

* * *

 **Underground Training Grounds**

Ichigo groaned as he woke up from his impromptu nap, before looking around and realizing he appeared to be back in the Underground Training Ground underneath Urahara Shōten.

"How did I get here?" Ichigo groaned.

"I carried you here," Yoruichi replied. Ichigo looked to see Yoruichi, now in her black cat form.

"Why did you do that?! I had everything under control," Ichigo said.

"Do you really think you could've beaten a Captain?!" Yoruichi yelled at him.

"I wasn't planning to fight them! I was still recovering from fighting Kenpachi!"

Yoruichi's eyes widened. "You fought Kenpachi?! Are you insane?!"

"I did, and _I won_. Anyways, I would have used one of my scabbard's abilities to create a barrier. While that was active, I would have used Invisible Air to grab everyone and escape," Ichigo explained.

"What?" Yoruichi asked.

"It's another ability of my Zanpakutō," Ichigo answered. "Anyways, Byakuya has probably killed all of them by now, no thanks to you!"

"Don't worry. You remembered the man with the white hair?" Yoruichi asked. Ichigo nodded. "He would've saved them from Byakuya. Before that, I need to train you in some things before we go rescue all of them," Yoruichi said. Suddenly, the cat was surrounded in white smoke, clearing to reveal Yoruichi in her human form, stark naked.

" ** _Ichigo Kurosaki you have one second to look away, or I'll gouge your eyes out!"_** Artoria yelled. Ichigo immediately turns his head to the left.

" ** _Why gouge his eyes out when we can just cut off his head?!"_** Altria suggested with a really menacing voice. This made Ichigo so scared he forgot Yoruichi was still there.

"Not the reaction I was expecting," Yoruichi said in disappointment.

"Let's just say I have already met two girls who are easily above you in beauty," Ichigo replied with his face is still looking away from her. Artoria and Altria blushed when they heard Ichigo's compliment.

"Oh, and who are they?" Yoruichi asked. Ichigo's comment really wounded her feminine pride, despite her initial wishes to only tease him a bit.

"That something you don't need to know. Now, put some clothes on, and let's get this training started!" Ichigo said. "Having said that, this place looks like Underground Training Grounds," he commented, as he looked around.

"Kisuke and I used to come here often when were kids to train," Yoruichi said. "Naturally, the place in the Human World was modelled after this place. Before we start, I have a question about you."

"Ok."

"How are you so fast when you don't even use Shunpō?" Yoruichi asked in a serious voice.

"It's one of my Zanpakutō's abilities," Ichigo answered.

Yoruichi eyes narrowed. _'What kind of Zanpakutōs has all of these varying abilities?'_ She sighed. "Anyways, I will help you achieve the second release form of you Zanpakutōs." Yoruichi stated, surprising Ichigo.

"Second release form?" Ichigo asked, as Yoruichi nodded.

"All Zanpakutō have a second release. The first release is called 'Shikai' and the second release is called 'Bankai'," she explained from her higher position on one of the large rocks. "Before any Shinigami can become a captain, he or she must have mastered both of these Zanpakutō releases."

 _''Bankai'? Where have I heard this word before?'_ Ichigo thought.

* * *

 ** _"In the end, everything will be fine once you achieve Bankai,"_** _Altria said._

 _"Bankai?" Ichigo asked, tilting his head to the right in confusion._

 ** _"You will learn of it later,"_** _Artoria said._

* * *

 _'Now I remember!'_ Ichigo thought.

"Except for one, every Captain in the Gotei 13 has mastered Bankai. The only one who became a Captain without doing this is Kenpachi Zaraki," she said, surprising Ichigo. "In all of Soul Society's history, Kenpachi is the only one to first become a captain without achieving Bankai, and did so by defeating the former captain in a duel instead. And the power level between the two states varies, but usually, it increases by 5 or 10 times."

Ichigo eyes widen at that thought. "That much?" He asked.

"Now do you see what I am talking about? In order to gain this advantage, many Shinigami trained for over ten years to achieve it, and that's only for the most talented ones," Yoruichi said, causing Ichigo to deflate a bit.

"And we don't even have one week! So… you have another plan, right?" Ichigo asked.

"I will be using a completely different method here. You will master Bankai in only _three days_ ," Yoruichi said, while holding up three fingers. She then held up a white cardboard cut in human shape. "This is a Tenshintai, a tool used by the stealth force. It draws out the Zanpakutō and manifests its true form. In order to achieve Bankai, you must manifest and make your Zanpakutōs submit to you, by first stabbing your Zanpakutōs into the Tenshintai. By using the it, you have only three days to achieve Bankai. Should you fail to achieve Bankai in that three days, you will no longer be able to achieve it, _ever_ ," Yoruichi said, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen.

" **There is no need to use that,"** Someone said.

" **He can already summon us into this world,"** Another voice added behind Yoruichi. She turned to see two beautiful girls standing there, quickly realizing these must be the girls Ichigo was talking about earlier.

"Artoria, Altria? How are you two in the outside world?" Ichigo asked with a surprise.

" **You have grown strong ever since you've awakened your true powers,"** Artoria started.

" **But we are only able to do this after your fight with that war mongrel,"** Altria said.

"I assume you two are his Zanpakutōs," Yoruichi asked.

"They are," Ichigo confirmed.

" **We heard everything you said, and now, you should leave everything to us,"** Artoria said.

" **We were originally planning on teaching him Bankai after learning all of his Shikai's abilities, but we think it will be better this way,"** Altria said.

 **"Now, then,"** Artoria started as she turned to Ichigo. **"You should know this will be _nothing_ like you have ever done before."**

 **"This will be the hardest thing you will ever do, and we won't hold back. Do you still want to try**?" Altria asked.

"Yes, I won't give up!" Ichigo said, determined to achieve Bankai.

 **"Very well; let's get his started then,"** Artoria said. They both snapped their fingers, and the ground below them began to shake as thousands of weapons burst out of the ground. Swords, axes, lances, and all kind of weapons appeared, all of them just as beautiful as the other.

 **" _Between these weapons, somewhere, there is the real us. Try to find it_ ,"** Altria said. Both Altria and Artoria summoned their respective blade and scabbards, which Yoruichi couldn't help and admire the beauty of.

 **"Now, try to find it, before we defeat you,"** Artoria said, as they charged at Ichigo together with their blades. Ichigo grabbed the nearest weapon, a lance, and tried to block Altria's attack. The lance only withstood one strike before breaking into a million pieces.

" **Just grabbing any weapon won't do,"** Altria said.

" **You have to think where the real ones are,"** Artoria said, as she swung her sword at Ichigo.

"I'll find the real one!" Ichigo said, as he grabbed another sword to block Artoria's strike.

* * *

 **6 hours later…**

 **"That's attempt Number 51,"** Artoria said, as Ichigo tossed the broken blade away and grabbed another one. He charged towards her. She blocked Ichigo's attack, before firing a Reiatsu Bust at him, which he blocked the attack with the sword. Once again, the sword instantly broke from the attack, and he hurried to find another weapon, only for Altria to appear and punch him in the gut, sending him into a nearby boulder.

 **"Never take your eyes off your opponent,"** Altria said.

 **"That's 52,"** Artoria declared.

Ichigo got up and wiped some blood from his mouth. "I almost had Artoria that time," He smirked, as he looked for another sword. _'Where can they be…? I knew the real one will be like the originals,"_ Ichigo thought. In the far distance, Ichigo could see a pair of swords which appear similar to his Shikai, thus he Shunpō'ed over to them. He grabbed them, before charging back at Altria. Altria easily blocked Ichigo's attack and broke the weapon. Artoria charged in and slashed him in the upper right shoulder.

" **Did you think your Bankai would look like your Shikai?"** Altria asked.

 **"All of the weapons here represent _you_ ,"** Artoria said.

" **The blades you grabbed today meant you solely relied on us, and not confident in your own power,"** Altria said.

Artoria looked at Ichigo's tired state. " **That's enough for today. Get some rest,"** Artoria said, as Ichigo got up and was about to grab a lance.

" **We will continue at sunrise again,"** Altria added.

"Okay," Ichigo said. Altria and Artoria snapped their fingers as the weapons disappeared. They nodded to Yoruichi, before returning to Ichigo's mindscape.

"Come on, Ichigo; let me show you something which might help you recover," Yoruichi said, as she showed him to the hot spring.

Ichigo quickly took off his shirt and carefully submerged himself in it. "Aaah…" Ichigo moaned, as his body began to enjoy the relaxing hot water. He leaned on a nearby rock as he thought about what Altria and Artoria told him.

"Ichigo, how's the water?" Yoruichi asked from behind the rocks.

"It's good. The temperature is just right," Ichigo said.

"Well, then I'll join you," Yoruichi said, shocking Ichigo.

"Do _not_ get in the water!" Ichigo yelled. He didn't want his girlfriends to kill him if he did.

"You're such a prude!" She said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Yoruichi slipped one paw in the water. "Calm down. This form won't upset you, then?" Ichigo looked back as Yoruichi had a grin on her face, as she paddled through the water. "Disappointed? Come on, out with it, you _are_ , aren't you? You little pervert."

Ichigo grabbed Yoruichi and shoved her face into the hot spring, immediately panicking as it tried to scratch Ichigo's hands to let her go. Ichigo remained there for another twenty seconds before bringing her back up.

"Can't you even take a joke…?!" Yoruichi grumbled, coughing.

"You try to joke like that yourself when you have two beautiful girlfriends permanently in your head," Ichigo replied. Yoruichi sighed, conceding the point. "So, I heard you and Urahara was once Captains?" He tried to change the topic quickly.

"We were. I was Captain of the Second Division, while he was the Captain of the Twelfth Division." The two sat there in peace, as she told him stories about Urahara and her past.

* * *

 **The next day…**

The next morning, Ichigo woke up. He got up and did some light stretches before resuming his training to achieve Bankai.

"Ichigo," Yoruichi said.

"Yes?" Ichigo replied.

"I'm going to scout for more information about the execution and the location of everyone else."

"OK. I'll stay here then," Ichigo replied. Yoruichi nodded as she left in her cat form.

As soon as she's gone, Altria and Artoria appeared. **"Are you ready?"** Artoria asked.

"I am," Ichigo replied.

They both snapped their fingers. The ground below them began to shake as thousands of weapons burst out of the ground again. Ichigo grabbed a lance and the test resumed. In the ensuing few hours, his mind was so focused on the test, he wasn't aware of Yoruichi's return, or the guest following her. It wasn't till the day was nearly over that Ichigo acknowledge their presence.

"Renji? What are you doing here?"

"You idiot, I was here for the past few hours already! You were so focused on your training with them that you didn't acknowledge my presence."

"Sorry."

"No problem."

"Looks like you two made up," Yoruichi said, as she arrived. She turned to Ichigo. "Did you achieve Bankai yet?"

"Not yet," Ichigo answered.

"Damn it," Yoruichi said.

"What happened?"

"Rukia's execution was moved up again. It's tomorrow at noon."

"What!?" They both shouted.

"Yes. They agreed to move the date up in order to successfully execute her, and prevent any successful rescue attempt."

"I see then. Looks like time to get back to training," Ichigo said, as he walked back to the clearing he used for his training. Artoria and Altria reappeared.

 **"Are you sure you want to resume?"** Artoria asked.

"I do. I don't have much time left," Ichigo said.

 **"Very well,"** Altria said, as they summoned the weapons again.

Renji turned to Yoruichi. "Are those Ichigo's Zanpakutōs true form?"

"They are."

"I can't believe he would have ones so beautiful." Renji said admiring their beauty.

"I agree," Yoruichi said, before kicking Renji in the back. "Don't just stand there and ogle! Get back to your training!" She shouted.

* * *

 **The next day…**

Ichigo and Renji have been up all night trying to achieve their Bankai, with the latter succeeding. Yoruichi then told Renji what he needs to do to help rescue Rukia. He nodded, as he Shunpō'ed back to Sixth Division Barracks.

 **"Just because time is running out, doesn't mean we won't be holding back!"** Altria shouted as she destroyed Ichigo's axe.

"I know that! I never thought either of you would go easy on me," he said, with a smirk on his face.

 _'Ichigo! You have to hurry. There is only one hour left!'_ Yoruichi thought.

 _'Where are the real ones? Come on… remember what they said…'_ Ichigo thought.

 **" _Between these weapons somewhere, there is the real us. Try to find it."_**

 _'It couldn't be that simple…!'_ Ichigo thought, frustrated… though he soon came to a realization. Ichigo smacked himself on the forehead. "I can't believe I made such as stupid mistake," he said, as he dropped off the sword in his hand. Ichigo turned to the smiling Artoria and the smirking Altria, before running over and hugging both of them.

"I found you," Ichigo said, as all the weapons disappeared and they both hugged him back.

" **Took you long enough,"** Altria said.

" **With the challenge completed, you have achieved Bankai,"** Artoria said.

"How can it all be that?" Ichigo asked.

" **You should already know,"** They said. Ichigo thought about for a few seconds before realizing he already knew how.

 **"Now that you manage to achieve Bankai, we can exist in this world with your permission,"** Altria said.

"So that's what you meant when you said that everything will be fine when I achieve Bankai…" Ichigo said.

" **Yes, but you should know our Bankai is different from other Bankai,"** Artoria said.

"Different?" Yoruichi asked.

" **Yes. First, our Bankai will be able to repair itself it gets damaged in any way,"** Altria said.

Yoruichi's eyes widened with this new knowledge. "Are you serious?"

"Is it that unusual?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes. All Bankai which gets damaged cannot be repaired. The only exceptions are elemental-based Zanpakutōs, and even those have specific requirements to damage them, which they can't recover from," Yoruichi explained.

" **We are an exception on many things,"** Artoria said.

" **Well, congratulation is in order,"** Altria said, as she grabbed Ichigo head and brought him into a passionate kiss. As soon as Altria stopped, Artoria grabbed his head and kissed him as well.

 _'Ichigo, you sly dog…'_ Yoruichi thought with a smirk.

" **Now, we can stay together all times,"** Artoria said.

" **I am _really_ looking forward to it,"** Altria said.

"Same here," Ichigo replied, blushing.

"I see you have a really close relationship with your Zanpakutōs," Yoruichi quipped with a smirk, causing him to blush even more. "Well, I can't really fault that, seeing how beautiful they are, but other Zanpakutōs may get jealous about you three."

"There are others who have a relationship like us?" Ichigo asked, curious.

"I'm not sure. There are only a few Shinigamis who are strong enough to even manifest their Zanpakutō. Of those, I've never seen them interacting directly with their Zanpakutōs like you in this world."

"I see…"

After that, they entered the hot spring to relax and recover for the impending attack.

* * *

 **Sōkyoku Hill**

At Sōkyoku Hill, Rukia was escorted by several prison guards, before she was strapped into the execution platform. Behind her were six members of the Kidō Corps ready to unseal the Sōkyoku. She watches as the Captains and their Lieutenants arriving at Sōkyoku Hill, with the last to arrive being Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Nii-sama…" Rukia mumbled. Byakuya closed his eyes and looked away from Rukia.

"This is the true form of the Spearhead of Sōkyoku and the Executioner of the Grand Penalty. After it pierces through the criminal's body, the Grand Penalty ends," Yamamoto-Sōtaichō stated. "Do you have any last words, Kuchiki Rukia?" He asked.

"I have a last request, Sir," she replied

"Speak."

"I would like to request all the Ryokas to be allowed to return home..."

Yamamoto glared at the girl. "Very well, the Ryokas will be given a full pardon."

Rukia's lip curled into a small smile, as three small cubes rose from the ground, binding her into a T-position. They lifted her to the top of the gallows, positioned right in front of the halberd. Rukia looked straight into it.

"There is nothing for me to regret anymore," she said. Yamamoto-Sōtaichō nodded as the Kidō Corps members began to unseal the Sōkyoku. The halberd was immediately surrounded in flames, transforming into a massive phoenix. Rukia flinched slightly at the presence of the create. She shut her eyes. _'Thank you...'_ she thought, as she began to thank those who were important in her heart. _'Thank you, Renji, Onii-sama, Kaien-dono, and Ichigo… Thank you, all of you!'_

She closed her eyes as she waited for the impending fire; however, after waiting there for a few seconds, the fire never came. She opened her eyes, and was shocked to see who was in front of her: _Ichigo_.

But… he wasn't alone. Standing next to him were two of the most beautiful girls she had ever seen.

"I see you are ready to die, even after everyone has gone through so much trouble to save you," Ichigo said.

"You fool! Why did you come back?!" Ichigo just closed his eyes at her frustrated scream. "You can't beat Nii-sama...! This time, he'll kill you for sure. I've made my peace with death. Go back home!"

He sighed and looked at her calmly. "As I have said before, I don't have time for your yelling and blabbering. Keep quiet as I save you," Ichigo declared. Suddenly, the giant firebird screeched and backed up as if to attack again.

"Come at me." He said calmly.

"Stop! Don't do this! You won't be able to stop the Sōkyoku a second time! It'll just destroy you three!"

The Sōkyoku began to fly forward, but Ichigo also charged towards it. Then, _something_ seemed to fly up and wrap around its neck. Ichigo looked down to see the two Shinigamis – two Captains, one of them the kind, white-haired one from a few days ago – had wrapped something around the Sōkyoku's neck. The other Captain wore a pink woman's kimono... much to Ichigo's confusion. They drew their swords and stabbed them into a shield-like object. The black ropes turned white and it hit the Sōkyoku, causing it to explode.

Ichigo flew back into the stand, partially using the blast's power.

"What are you doing, Ichigo?" Rukia asked in a worried tone.

"This stand is about to go down," He replied as he drew his Zanpakutō.

Rukia gasped before she started to yell at him. "That's crazy! Ichigo, you can't! You'll only end up killing us both!"

Ichigo just closed his eyes. "Don't worry about it," He said, as he stabbed the blades into the platform. He fired a large Reiatsu Burst from the blades into it, making it explode.

Rukia closed her eyes in fear.

"You talked too much, Rukia. It's a good thing if you keep quiet and let me do what I was doing," Ichigo said, while holding Rukia with his one hand on the now-broken stand. Rukia couldn't stop herself from getting teary-eyed, as she spoke.

"I'm not going to say 'thank you'," she said, as she started to cry.

Ichigo smirked, before he replied. "You don't need to thank me. The only reason I came to save you is because you saved my family. That is the only reason I'm here. I am just repaying my debt, that's all," He said, smiling.

Everyone on the ground couldn't hide the shocked look on their face.

"He destroyed the stand!" Isane said.

"Those girls are so beautiful…" Kiyone said in awe.

"So, Ichigo, what do you plan to do now? You are outnumbered. You can't just disappear," Rukia paused as she looked at Altria and Artoria. "Who are you two?"

"This isn't the time for introductions. I'm not planning to fight them. We're running away!" Ichigo shouted.

"There are other captains down there. There's no way that-!"

Ichigo cut her off. "Didn't I just told you to be quiet? 'No way' this, 'no way' that… That's quite tiring, you know? We also have to save all the others who got captured," He rebuked.

Suddenly, they heard a loud crash, a huff, and a heavy thud. They looked down at the ground and saw Renji on the ground. He looked up at Ichigo and others.

"Renji, you're alive!" Rukia shouted.

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria disappeared from the top of the stand and appeared next to Renji. "Here, take Rukia and go," he ordered, as he handed Rukia over to Renji. Renji nodded, before using Shunpō.

"Don't just stand there watching them you fool! Go! All lieutenants, after them!" Suì-Fēng shouted. The lieutenant of the First, Second and Fourth Division Shunpō'ed after Renji, only for Ichigo to stop them.

"Out of our way!" Omaeda yelled, as they called out to their Zanpakutōs.

 **"Run, Itegumo!"** Isane shouted as she released her Zanpakutō. Her blade split into three at the base of the hilt-guard.

 **"Pierce, Gonryōmaru!"** Sasakibe yelled out as his katana transformed into a rapier.

 **"Crush, Gegetsuburi!"** Omaeda's Zanpakutō transformed into an over-sized spiked ball attached to a long chain.

Before Omaeda could properly grip his Zanpakutō, Ichigo was already front of him, punching straight through the giant spiked ball into Omaeda's stomach, knocking him back. Ichigo turned towards Chojiro, who tried to stab Ichigo with his rapier. The boy easily dodged the attack, jumping to the side before knocking him into the air with an uppercut. Ichigo turned to the shocked Isane. Before she could react, Ichigo planted his right palm into her chest, causing her to faint.

Having done all that in a split second, Ichigo pulled out his Invisible Morgan and blocked Byakuya's blade.

"Why do you insist on trying to save Rukia?" Byakuya asked as kept pushing his blade down.

"Because I have a debt to repay," Ichigo answered.

"I hope you understand how pointless this is?" Byakuya asked.

"I don't know your reasons for not saving your own sister, but I will stop you and save her. Artoria, Altria… please let me fight him on my own," Ichigo said.

" **No matter what happens, we won't get in your way,"** Artoria said.

" **This is something you have to do on your own,"** Altria added.

"Thank you," Ichigo said, as he charged at Byakuya with Invisible Air. Byakuya blocked the invisible swords with his Zanpakutō, but the ground underneath him cracked under the pressure. Ichigo tried to slash at Byakuya's legs, only for him to jump up, but he quickly slammed Morgan against the captain's blade, forcing him back down. Once again, he used Invisible Morgan at Byakuya, but was blocked again.

Ichigo smirked, as he brought up invisible Excalibur to cut his defenceless chest. Byakuya Shunpō'ed to get away from Ichigo.

"I assume you have got a good guess of my sword's length when I stopped that bird, as I didn't cover them that time," Ichigo said, as he disabled the Invisible Air from Excalibur and Morgan.

"Your Zanpakutōs has very good abilities. One ability makes them invisible, while the other enhances your power, speed, and endurance. If you combine that power with your Shunpō, it would grant you incredible speed," Byakuya explained.

"You figured out almost half of them; great job! I would suggest you use your Bankai if you do," Ichigo sarcastically commended.

"Why would I do that against someone like you?" Byakuya started.

"Because that'll be your only way for you to survive against me!"

"You're a thousand years too young to die by my Bankai!" Byakuya said, insulted, as he pointed his Zanpakutō up. **"Scatter, Senbonzakura!"** His blade disintegrated into small blades, taking on the appearance of cherry blossoms.

"My turn," Ichigo said, **"The breath of the planet gathers. The torrent of life shines,"** He began to chant. Golden Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's right side. **"Hammer of the Vile King. Overturn the aurora. Swallow the light!"** Black Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's left side. **"Swords of Starlight thou shalt obliterate! EXCALIBUR MORGAN!"** Ichigo yelled. The golden and black Reiatsu exploded around and enveloped him, clearing to reveal Ichigo's beautiful Shikai.

"I cannot even comprehend how can someone like you have such magnificent Shikai's like them. Even the scabbards are so beautiful," Byakuya said, as he both compliment the Zanpakutōs and insulted Ichigo at the same time. By pointing Senbonzakura's hilt at Ichigo, all the blades rushed towards him. However, before the blades could reach the boy, there was a flash of golden and black Reiatsu, kicking up a lot of dust.

The dust settled to reveal an unharmed Ichigo, with all the small blades gone.

"What was that golden and black light…? Was that the true ability of your Zanpakutōs, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Byakuya asked.

"One of my Zanpakutō's ability is absorbing my Reiatsu and firing it like a projectile," Ichigo explained as he pointed Excalibur at Byakuya. "I will repeat myself one more time…" He said, as he began to gather more Reiatsu into Excalibur, "Use your Bankai, Kuchiki Byakuya," Ichigo said, as he fired a Reiatsu Burst.

Byakuya dodged the attack by using Shunpō. "So be it. Behold my Bankai."

He pointed his sword down… and let go. The Zanpakutō sank into the ground underneath him. "Bankai. **Senbonzakura Kageyoshi** ," Suddenly, two massive rows of swords rose out of the ground and surrounded them. "Don't worry, you will turn to dust before you feel anything,"

The rows of swords began to turn into petals, just like his Shikai did – there's just _a lot more_. The petals flew towards him from all directions. Ichigo used Invisible Air and Shunpō to try and dodge them, but they continued to follow him. Ichigo fired another Reiatsu Burst at the petals, but they ignored the attack as it continued to fly towards Ichigo – or rather, they spread around it. Ichigo managed to block the initial wave of petals, but as more and more waves came from all sides, they finally managed to trap Ichigo.

 _'You're finished,'_ Byakuya thought. Suddenly, he could see a golden glow from inside the pink sphere of death, as something was slowly forcing out itself of the sphere.

 **" The inner sea of the planet. From the edge of paradise, you shall hear my words. Let only those without sin pass, Avalon!"**

Byakuya's eyes widened when Ichigo stepped away from his attack in a golden impervious sphere, with some ethereal fairies flying around serenely in it. Byakuya forced the petals to attack the sphere, but despite his best efforts, none of his attack couldn't penetrate the barrier.

"I can easily come to you now and finish you off, since your Bankai can't do anything to me as long as I am in this barrier," Ichigo claimed, as he continued to walk towards Byakuya. The captain desperately motioned for the petals to stop him, but Senbonzakura might as well have been placid water going against a steel wall. Soon enough, the boy appeared in front of Byakuya.

"Since you've shown me your Bankai, it's natural for me to show you mine."

"Watch what you say, boy. You make it sound as if you've achieved Bankai!" Byakuya glared at Ichigo.

"Yes, I have," Ichigo declared.

"What?!"

"You heard me," Ichigo stated as he disabled the barrier, returning it into the scabbards in his hip. Ichigo slammed both Excalibur and Morgan back into their respective scabbard. **"BANKAI!"**

Ichigo was surrounded in a pillar of black and golden Reiatsu, as well as Altria and Artoria. All the Shinigamis in the Seireitei were suddenly confused about the pillar of Captain-level Reiatsu, as none of them recognized it, even though its pressure tingled consistently across their skin. The only conclusion they could come up with was that it was from one of the Ryoka. They all looked in the direction of Ichigo and Byakuya's battle, when the Reiatsu and dust settled down, revealing Ichigo's Bankai form.

However, what's most curious was how his Zanpakutōs had changed, mostly because their constant manifestation was rare, if not one-of-a-kind. The twins had matured tremendously, now taking the form of a busty, mature woman.

Artoria is now dressed in a similar dress as before. But the front of her long skirt had cut in a V shape and silver armor. Her hair is tied in an elegant bun. On top of her head is a golden crown. In her hand, she carries very beautiful big white lance it looked like it was made from ribbon. The lance is almost as tall as Artoria herself. **(1)**

Altria is now dressed in a similar style as Artoria and was wearing black armor but it incorporates inspirations from dragons. Her hair is also tied in an elegant bun. On top of her head is a black crown which looks similar to dragon horns. In her hands she also wields a lance. Unlike Artoria's lance this one is silver lance with red spikes all over it. **(2)**

The young orange-haired boy was now a _man_ , with his spiky short top elongated into a shaggy waist-length mane. His lean body, already quite muscular, was clad in golden armour and crown – more masculine in design than his Zanpakutōs – with a copy of their lances in his hands. **(3)**

All of them gave off an aura of power and authority.

 **"Rhongomyniad."** Ichigo muttered, with a new, deeper voice, as he opened his eyes and looked at Byakuya.

"Bankai…? Do you… truly enjoy stepping on our very traditions?! A boy who got his powers from another…. Just how did someone like you managed to gain such a Bankai?!" Byakuya sneered furiously.

"There is no need for more talking. Come at me with everything you have, or you won't survive," Ichigo repeated his earlier threat, pointing the white lance at him.

Byakuya complied, ordering the petals to attack Ichigo in a more aggressive pattern. Just when it seemed this new form had worked, the boy disappeared and reappeared in front of the captain. Panicking, Byakuya waved his arm to summon a wall of petals, but Black Rhongomyniad easily destroyed it and tore a small piece of flesh off Byakuya's side.

When he tried to counterattack after feeling the shot of pain, Ichigo had disappeared again.

 **"He's doing pretty good,"** Artoria commented drily. She and Altria were watching the fight from the side line.

 **"He is. Especially since this is the first time he's using Rhongomyniad,"** Altria stated.

" **Look, he is about to end it,"** Artoria said.

Byakuya started to use his hands to increase the speed of his attacks. However, it's a futile effort, as Ichigo continued to flee around the area with speed and silence impossible for a regular Shunpō. Realizing relying on his visual ability was useless, he spread some spare petals thinly across the field, trying to sense Ichigo's movements, but the decision was too late, as the black lance had once again nicked his back, this time quite a bit deeper than the previous wound.

Black Rhongomyniad dripping with Byakuya's blood. "What is wrong? Your attacks are getting weaker." He taunted, causing Byakuya to glare.

 **"Senkei!"** Byakuya muttered. All the scattered petals coalesced and reformed into complete glowing katanas, numbering in the thousands, lined up in four rows. These rows floated just above each other, and circled around Byakuya and his opponent in a continuously moving, column-like array. "This is _Senkei_ ; you are only one of two people who I have ever used this on," Byakuya stated, causing Ichigo to smirk.

"I feel honoured… but I believe we should finish this now," Ichigo stated, as Byakuya grabbed a sword.

 **"Senbonzakura Kageyoshi: Shukei Hakuteiken,"** Byakuya said. All the floating swords transformed into white petals which concentrated into Byakuya's single sword, making it appeared bright white, creating a bird-like aura. Pure white wings formed on Byakuya's back, as well as a halo-like circle made of concentrated Reiatsu.

"Are you ready, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Byakuya asked.

Ichigo raised up both black and white Rhongomyniads as an answer, the two gathering black and golden Reiatsu respectively, in a similar manner to Byakuya's incoming attack. "Come at me, Byakuya Kuchiki!" Ichigo yelled.

They both charged at each other. When their attack collided, it caused a giant explosion of white, black and golden Reiatsu, so large all of Seireitei could see it. When it all settled, Ichigo was completely unharmed, but Byakuya had two very big cuts in his chest from both Rhongomyniads. Blood began to pour out of his wounds profusely, as he staggered with a few steps towards Ichigo.

"Are… you not going to ask me why? Why didn't I save Rukia?" Byakuya asked.

"No. I neither have the right, nor it is my place to question the decisions made by your people or the decisions you have made yourself. Those questions are reserved for those who live in Soul Society," Ichigo replied. "However, if you wish to share it, then I will listen."

Byakuya nodded. " _Duty_. As long as I am a captain of the Gotei 13, and head of a noble family, I must punish those who break the law," He weakly explained to him.

"Even if the criminal is your own family?" Ichigo asked.

"Sympathy towards a relative? What could be more pointless?" Byakuya said, as he stabbed Senbonzakura to the ground. "Sympathy towards a relative is nothing, next to the law, which is above all. The Kuchiki Clan is one of the four Great Noble Clans. We have to set an example for all other Shinigami to follow," Byakuya leaned on his Zanpakutō as he continued to explain himself. "If we ourselves don't uphold the law, then who will?"

Ichigo looked at Byakuya as he closed his eyes for a few seconds, before reopening them, saying, "Indeed… what you said is right and just, I agree with your point." This caused Byakuya's eyes to widen. "However, if the law is forcing you to commit such actions you know are wrong, then it's your duty to oppose and change it. That is what I believe is right, and what I would have done if I was in your position."

Byakuya stood there, looking at him for a few seconds, trying to digest what Ichigo said, before turning back and walking away.

" Ichigo Kurosaki, your pair of lances have broken my blade. Because of that, I can no longer pursue Rukia. You are the victor of this battle. I will pursue Rukia no more. _You_ have won," He said, as he disappeared with Shunpō, leaving Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria alone.

 **"You did a very good job, Ichigo,"** Altria complimented.

 **"Yes, you handled Rhongomyniad pretty well, despite using for the first time,"** Artoria added.

"Thank you. I wouldn't have been able to defeat him if not for your support," Ichigo said as he gave them a warm smile, making them blush.

"Ichigo!" Someone called out to him as turned and saw Orihime, Chad, Uryū, and Ganju.

"What the hell happened to you?! First, you go get a new look, and now you've grown seven years older! And what's with your clothes and crown?!" Uryū screamed.

"You don't need to worry; it is an effect of my Bankai. When I disable it, I will revert back to my original appearance," Ichigo assured the others.

"Ichigo… you are not hurt, right?" Orihime asked, worried.

"I'm okay. Not a scratch," Ichigo said. But when he looked at Uyru, he could immediately tell something was wrong: there was no Reiatsu coming from the bespectacled boy. "What is wrong with _you_?" Ichigo asked

"I'll… I'll tell you later when we go back," Uryū stated, getting a nod from Ichigo.

"Ichigo… who are they?" Chad asked, lightly blushing. Ichigo turned to see Altria and Artoria approaching them. Ganju and Uryū joined Chad in his blushing, admiring their beauty.

"Oh, they're my Zanpakutō spirits. Since I have achieved Bankai, I can materialize them outside of my mindscape without any problem," Ichigo said.

" **It is nice to meet you, everyone! I am Excalibur, but you can call me 'Artoria',"** Artoria introduced herself.

" **I am Morgan. You can call me 'Altria',"** the other one said.

The rest of the group introduced themselves and greeted the twins in return, but then everyone heard a voice in their mind.

 _"Attention to all members of the Gotei 13… and the Ryokas. This is Isane Kōsetsu, lieutenant of Fourth Division with an urgent announcement. This is an emergency report from Captain Unohana regarding the traitor among us. What I am about to tell you is the truth. Aizen Sōsuke, former Captain of Fifth Division, is alive. With the assistance of Ichimaru Gin, former Captain of Third Division, and Tōsen Kaname, former Captain of Ninth Division, they murdered every member of Central 46, along with seriously wounding Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Hinamori. All three traitors are after Kuchiki Rukia, and are currently on Sōkyoku Hill. All members of the Gotei 13 and the Ryokas are asked to immediately apprehend the traitors! That is all."_

And the message was over.

"What was that?" Chad asked.

"That was **Bakudō #77: Tenteikūra**. It is a kidō which allows the user to transmit their voice to large group of people simultaneously. Think of it as speaking into a headset," Ichigo explained.

"Do you think this is a trap?" Uryū asked.

"No. What that woman said was right," Ichigo said, as he sensed Rukia and Renji's Reiatsu back at Sōkyoku Hill, with the latter's slowly lowering into dangerous levels.

"I am going ahead of you guys because I am faster," Ichigo said to them. With a glance towards Artoria and Altria, they granted him their speed, vanishing with Invisible Air and Shunpō.

They arrived at Sōkyoku Hill, just in time see Yoruichi already there with Suì-Fēng, the petite woman pointing her Zanpakutō to Aizen's neck. Rangiku was behind Gin, holding her Zanpakutō at his neck, while Hisagi did the same to his now-former captain. There were other Shinigamis surrounding those three traitors, and Ichigo could spot other Captains and lieutenants and began walking towards them.

"It seems I was a bit late."

Everyone turned around to see Ichigo, Artoria and Altria walked towards them, with most of them admitting their current form resembled true European king and his queens. Only Yorucihi was the most surprised of them all, as she knew them well before their recent changes, having aged considerably since they last saw each other.

Rukia internally knew at that moment Sode no Shirayuki had likely lost her title as 'most beautiful Zanpakutō' to the two twins.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…? And they must be your Zanpakutō spirits," Aizen said.

"You were the one who sent that Hollow to my house that night... as well sending those Hollows and that Menos the night before Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji came to retrieve Rukia, weren't you?" Ichigo immediately accused Aizen, shocking everyone.

"Now, … how did you figure it out?" Aizen calmly asked, though he was sincerely curious. He didn't really care he had indirectly acknowledged to everyone there he was the culprit behind all those cases.

They're all going to die under his feet, after all.

"It's way too much of a coincidence. I was able to see Spirits for my entire life, and never once I have seen a Shinigami or a Hollow. All of a sudden, in one night, I saw both a Shinigami and a Hollow, both going through my house as well. And there is no way a Menos would willingly come to the World of the Living, just like that. Then… just as we broke into the Seireitei, you just happened to 'die'. It was obvious you were the one behind everything," Ichigo explained, as everyone just listens and didn't know what to say.

"You are way smarter than I expected you to be. I must say, you've exceeded my expectations. I would like to talk to you more, but alas, it's time to go."

"Get away from him, Suì-Fēng!" Yoruichi yelled.

Suì-Fēng and Yoruichi jumped away, just in time for a pillar of yellow light to surround him. Everyone looked up to see where the light had come from. A pair of hands tore open the sky, revealing multiple Gillians.

"Menos Grande?!" Suì-Fēng said, in disbelief at what she saw.

"Gillians?! How many are there?" Omeada spoke in fear.

"There's something else there with them," Hisagai said, as a large purple glowing eye opened within the dark space. Two more pillars of light broke through the dimensions and engulfed Kaname and Gin as well. The ground beneath their feet began to break apart, lifting them up towards the tear the Gillains had created.

"You going to run away?" Iba spoke as he reached for his Zanpakutō. "You-"

"Stop!" All eyes turned to the Head Captain. "That light is called 'Negacion'. The Menos use it to help save their fellow Hollows." The Head Captain looked up towards the escaping criminals. "Once enveloped by that light, it is impossible for those within and without to interact. It's an isolated world. All of you who have fought Menos should know." The Head Captain looked back down at the ground. "The moment that light fell on Aizen, it became impossible to reach him."

A loud smashing sound came from the wounded form of Komamura. "Tōsen! Come down here, Tōsen!" He yelled at the blind man. "I don't understand! Why did you become a Shinigami?! Wasn't it for your friend who passed away?! Wasn't it to carry out your justice?! Where has your sense of justice gone?!"

"I told you, Komamura," Tōsen spoke down towards his former comrade. "The only thing I can see with my eyes is the least bloody path. Justice is always there. The path I follow is 'justice'!"

"You've joined up with the Menos, Why…?" Ukitake asked the former captain.

Aizen looked down at the white-haired man. "To reach higher."

"Have you fallen so low, Aizen?" Ukitake glared up at the man. All this plotting and almost killing one of his subordinates… what was it all for? And how far back in time did his betrayal reach?

"You're too arrogant, Ukitake," Aizen watched as the Shinigami beneath him grew smaller. "No one stood at the top from the beginning. Neither you, nor me, nor the gods. But…" Aizen reached up and removed his glasses from his face. "That unbearable vacancy of Heaven's throne ends _now_."

He ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back. "From now on, I will stand atop the heavens. Farewell, Shinigami." Everyone stood still and watched, as they all joined the Menos. "Ichigo Kurosaki… you are quite interesting. Let's meet again."

With his last words spoken, the Menos began to retreat, far enough until the tear sealed itself. The Fourth Division eventually arrived and helped all the injured. In the commotion, Byakuya talked to Rukia about something, far too quiet for Ichigo to eavesdrop. The Head Captain ordered all Shinigami not to harm any of the Ryokas, and allowed them to return to the World of the Living. Ichigo and his friends were given separate rooms in First Division Barracks to recover.

* * *

 **The next day…**

In the morning Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria woke up, having comfortably slept while cuddling with each other physically for the first time. They were taking a pleasant stroll, around the Seireitei when suddenly Orihime ran up to them.

"Ichigo! I can't find Rukia anywhere!" Orihime said, worried about her friend.

"Now… where did that midget go?" Ichigo asked, slightly annoyed. He wasn't too worried, since Byakuya would've ensured her safety, now her execution had been cancelled.

" **We just saved her yesterday, and she just disappeared like that?"** Altria growled in anger.

" **She must have gone somewhere,"** Artoria reasoned.

"Orihime, we'll go find her," Ichigo said.

"Good luck!" Orihime said, as returned to First Division's barracks.

"Alright, let's go…" Ichigo said, sighing tiredly. He could sense Renji and Byakuya's Reiatsu in the Sixth Division Barracks, so he guided his path to a set of doors, politely knocking on the door.

"Come in," Byakuya said.

Ichigo slid the door open. "Hello. Do you happen to know where Rukia went?"

"Did something happen to her?" Renji asked worried about his friend.

" **That idiot midget just disappeared somewhere,"** Altria said, slightly annoyed her stroll with Ichigo was interrupted.

" **Did she mention she was going anywhere?"** Artoria asked.

"She said she was planning to visit the Shiba clan," Byakuya said.

"I see. We will go there sorry for the disturbance to you, Renji and Byakuya Kuchiki. Have a good day," Ichigo said, sliding the door closed.

Byakuya then stared at the space thinking about something.

Renji looked at his captain and opened his mouth.

"What is wrong?" He asked.

"Is Ichigo Kurosaki going to continue to call me by my full name?" Byakuya asked Renji.

"Well, you're also calling him by _his_ full name…" Renji pointed out.

Byakuya looked conflicted. "It is true but…"

* * *

 **Rukongai**

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria arrived outside Rukongai, when they finally spotted Rukia.

"Hey, Rukia," Ichigo called out.

Rukia stopped walking and looked at Ichigo. "Ichigo? What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. Orihime was trying to find you. She panicked and asked me to look for you."

"Oh."

"Anyways, why were you at the Shiba Clan?"

"You know about the Shiba Clan?"

"Yes. They helped us enter the Seireitei," Ichigo said, not wanting to explain how they did it.

"I went there to apologize," Rukia said. "Fifty years ago, the Lieutenant was there older brother, Shiba Kaien. One day there was strange reports about a Hollow. So we went to investigate. At this time, Kaien-dono took me under his wing. We arrived to see this Hollow has possessed Kaien's wife. Before we could finish the Hollow, it escaped. Kaien hunted this Hollow in revenge for killing his wife. Unfortunately, the Hollow managed to possess Kaien as well. And… and I was forced to kill him along with the Hollow."

"I see," Ichigo said, understanding the situation.

"Now that I think of it, I never introduced myself to you two. I am Rukia Kuchiki," she said, bowing more gracefully than her brother's usual demeanour.

The twins repeated their introductions towards Ichigo's friends to Rukia.

"I didn't get the chance to ask, but Ichigo, what happened to your hair and eyes? Even your skin is paler; they look like-"

Ichigo interrupted Rukia. "…like Artoria and Altria? It is a side effect of releasing my Zanpakutōs, that is all," Ichigo said. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Actually... I have decided I'm staying here," Rukia said.

"I see," Ichigo acknowledge, though he did feel sad at her decision.

"That's all you have to say. You won't take me back?" Rukia asked.

"My objective was to save you from the execution. What you do now is up to you," Ichigo said, surprising Rukia.

"You've changed, Ichigo," Rukia stated, smiling warmly.

" **Yes. For good, too; now, he is calmer and smarter,"** Artoria said.

" **It's better than being rash and short-tempered,"** Altria added.

Ichigo just scoffed at them as they entered the Seireitei and began to talk about other things.

* * *

 **The next day…**

At the Senkaimon, Ichigo and his friends stood in front of the gate, ready to return home after a successful rescue attempt. They all stood waiting for the gate to open, as Captain Ukitake arrived.

"Kurosaki-kun," Ukitake called out, handing pentagonal wooden object to Ichigo. "This is for you." The item had a skull-shaped mark etched to its surfaces.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked.

"This is a Substitute Shinigami Badge. You can use it to eject your soul from your body whenever you wish. It also acts as an indicator for any Hollows nearby," Ukitake explained.

"Thank you," Ichigo replied.

When the Senkaimon opened and they all stepped into it, it's thankfully a safer and more relaxed experience than their first time, depositing them easily in front of Urahara's shop.

"Welcome back, everyone!" Urahara announced.

"Urahara, I want to talk to you about something privately," Ichigo called him, as he and his Zanpakutōs went inside the store and sat down the table.

"Kurosaki-san… I guess you heard about my past?" Urahara asked.

"I have," Ichigo stated

"I'm really sorry!" Urahara announced. He took off his hat and bowed his head at Ichigo's feet.

"You need not apologize to me, but if you are really sorry, then there are few things I need from you," Ichigo demanded.

"Of course!"

"First, could you give me two Gigais for my Zanpakutōs, identity papers for them and transfer them to my high school?" Ichigo asked.

"My, my… they are even more beautiful in spirit forms than their Zanpakutō forms!" Urahara complimented. "I see why you would want to keep them in the outside world," He perversely added, hiding his face behind the fan. "Don't worry. I have the special gigais ready, and the identity papers will be available by tomorrow. The transfer should be easy to handle; they will be transferred to your school when the summer break ends."

"Secondly… I want to know what happened with the last Substitute Shinigami?"

Urahara's face turned into a frown. "The last Substitute Shinigami was killing the real ones and stealing their powers. Don't ask me why. The Gotei 13 ordered him to be detained and executed, but he went into hiding," he said seriously.

"Three: what is this badge is really used for?" Ichigo asked, as he showed Urahara the badge which Ukitake gave him.

"With that badge, the Shinigamis can hear you, track where you are, control your Reiatsu, and they can also use it as a bomb to kill you," Urahara said to Ichigo, who closed his eyes in resignation. "Although… these are all relatively new functions. The killing equipment was added after your predecessor went rogue; you know a hard decision must be taken after that… Not that I'm defending Soul Society or anything. I'm just as opposed to this as you are."

" **We went to help them, and _this_ is how they repay their gratitude?!"** Artoria growled in anger.

" **And that white-headed bastard just handed you this bomb while smiling like he was giving you candy!"** Altria growled in anger.

"I assume you can do something about it," Ichigo said, as he handed the badge to Urahara.

"Yes, I will disable the microphone, the tracker, the Reiatsu controller and remove the bomb. It's only function will be able to separate you from your body and notifies you when there are Hollows nearby," Urahara said. "Naturally, I'll add a false signal emitter to let them think it's still unmodified."

"How does it notify me if there are Hollows nearby?"

"The skull lights up and screams 'Hollow'. Can't ignore it if it happens, now, can you?"

"Um… lets also remove that as well. My spiritual sensing should be good enough to detect Hollows," Ichigo said.

"Very well. Anything else?"

"Do you have any other Mod-Souls?"

"Are you already tired of Lil' Kon?"

"No. It's just he is a little perverted, and I don't want him to try to mess with Artoria or Altria's gigais when none of us are there."

Suddenly, they could sense a dark presence emanating from the twins. **"Don't worry, Ichigo. If he dares try, we will teach him a _very important_ lesson,"** Artoria said, as Altria sadistically grinned.

"Come with me, then, ladies! I will get you your Gigais as I modify the badge," Urahara said, as he led them to another room.

Ichigo went outside where others were, approaching Uryū. "So… why don't I sense any Reiatsu coming from you?" Ichigo asked.

"I lost my powers. I used a forbidden Quincy move, which causes me to lose my Reiatsu," Uyru explained.

"You still have Reishi since you can still see me, but you cannot access it…? They just have gone dormant. It seems that technique damaged your Soul Sleep; that is why you can't use your powers," Ichigo theorized.

"I understand. If the Soul Sleep were to get damaged, then no one can access their powers," Uryū agreed.

"Hey, Orihime, Chad; will you please come here?" Ichigo asked.

"What is it, Ichigo?" Orihime asked.

"Chad, can you give me your wristwatch?" Ichigo requested, to which the large boy complied. Ichigo threw it down and broke the watch's glass face, though it was still working.

"Orihime, I want you to use you Sōten Kisshun on this," Ichigo instructed, as he placed the watch down on the ground.

"Okay… I'll try," Orihime said, as she placed her hands in front of her. **"Sōten Kisshun! I reject!"** A triangular orange field appeared and covered the watch. In it, the broken glass fixed itself.

"What was the point behind this, Ichigo?" Uryū asked.

"Orihime's power is not _healing_ ," Ichigo stated.

"Then, what is it?!" Uryū asked in confusion.

"After I saw her use it on Jidanbō, I knew something was different. I had two ideas what it could be. The first idea was the ability to turn back time. The second idea was applying the concept of [Rejection]. Based on this experiment, it appears Orihime's power is to reject events from happening," Ichigo explained. Everyone's eyes widened with that revelation. "Now, then, I think Orihime could reject the damage on your Soul Sleep," He prosed.

"Uryū, please lie down," Orihime requested. Ishida nodded and laid down. **"Sōten Kisshun! I reject!"** The triangular orange field appeared and covered Uryū's chest, as Orihime closed her eyes. "I see! In his chest, his soul has been damaged. I can heal it!" She said, as she got on her work.

Two minutes later, the fairies returned into her hairpins, as Uryū got up and took a deep breath. He raised his right arm and let his Quincy bracelet fall as he tried to summon Reishi from his surroundings. After some struggles, he managed to create a bow, though it's somewhat unstable. Uryū carefully shot some arrows in the sky.

"Thank you, Orihime…! You too, Ichigo! I will always be in your debt," Uryū said, as he bowed his head at them.

"It was nothing! I am happy to be of help!" Inoue smiled widely, holding the back of her head in embarrassment.

"What are friends for, if not for situations like this?" Ichigo added.

Soon, Urahara came back with Artoria and Altria in tow, both in gigai and casual clothes. Artoria was wearing a white shirt blue skirt with a blue ribbon, and Altria was wearing a black gothic dress, while carrying Ichigo's human body with them.

"Here you go, Ichigo. Your body, the modified badge and your Gigais," Urahara said. Altria placed Ichigo's body on the ground as he entered his body, stretching a few times, before slowly getting up and taking his badge from Urahara.

"Thank you, Urahara," Ichigo said.

"I believe you kids should go home after such a journey. You are certainly tired and in need of rest," Urahara said, hiding his face behind his fan.

"Yes, he is correct. Let's go home and rest, and meet later to discuss," Ichigo admitted.

"Okay." The rest of the team agreed, separating ways to their respective homes.

Ichigo and his girlfriends went to the mall to buy some essential items for Artoria and Altria. Luckily, he had some spare money to buy them these things, though Ichigo had to resist the urge from punching every single guy who gave Artoria and Altria a lewd look. Well, that was taken care of when a group of delinquents finally tried to physically harass Artoria and Altria, so he could give them some 'theraphy'.

On their way home, a loud growling noise echoed across the streets. It was loud and bestial enough for Ichigo to assume a combat stance, but when he looked around, all he could see were Artoria's and Altria's deeply reddened faces looking down in embarrassment.

"Since we are manifested outside… now we are same as normal soul," Artoria said, still with a blush.

"Why don't we go into a cafe?" Ichigo offered with a small smile on his face, understanding her subtle cues.

"Indeed, let's go," Artoria said, as she rushed forward in front.

When they _did_ reach the café, it was by then Ichigo saw his two girlfriends' attempt on breaking the current eating world records – he had never even imagined such appetite was possible! The two did have their differences, though, as Artoria was the calmer, neater one, while Altria acted more casually, sometimes even using her hands for some portions. What was similar was their incredible speed, as if their mouths were using Shunpō individually.

There was also an embarrassing scene when Altria kept complaining – rightfully or not – at the chef about the quality of the food, almost driving them to tears at her criticisms. Not only did he have to pacify the situation, his wallet also lightened up into nothingness, adding to his exhaustion for the day.

"I _really_ hope he won't attack me this time. Please step to the side," Ichigo said, mentioning his father off-handily, as the girls moved from the door to the left. Predictably, when he opened the door, Ichigo heard loud running footsteps.

"Welcome home, IICCHHIIIIIGGGOOOO!" Isshin yelled, extending a foot towards Ichigo's chest. Ichigo grabbed the foot as he threw him in the ground. "ICHIGO! You we-" Isshin was about to say something, but stopped when he saw two girls beside the door. "Oh, Ichigo… I knew you had girlfriends! My son's not gay! YES!" The man yelled, before he lunged at the girls "Give your daddy a hug! Come here!"

"Enough," Ichigo said, as he kicked his father in the face. "First, you attack me, and then you try to hug two girls you've never met? What's wrong with you?!" He roared.

"I'm making sure you're ready for the world…! Every father does this to his son!" Isshin declared.

"No, they don't, dumbass!" Ichigo yelled back, causing Isshin to bawl and hug a large picture of Ichigo's mother.

"Masaki! Your son is arguing with me! I don't know what I did wrong to deserve such a delinquent of a son!" Isshin cried to the poster.

"I knew he was weird… Ah, no, I don't even know what I was about to say," Altria said.

"'Weird' doesn't even come close to explain his actions," Artoria said. Ichigo ignored Isshin as he went inside with the girls.

"Welcome home, Onii-chan!" Yuzu greeted.

"Welcome home, Ichi-nii," Karin said. They were sitting on the sofa, watching some TV.

"Who are they, Onii-chan?" Yuzu asked with a tinge of red in her face, seeing how beautiful the two girls behind him were.

"They are Artoria and Altria Pendragon. These are some foreign exchange students who will be living here with us from now on as some sort of homestay program," He lied.

"Oh, you are welcome to stay here, Artoria-san and Altria-san! You can stay in our room, right, Karin?" Yuzu asked happily in a happy voice. Her older sister, meanwhile, sensed something, thus only watched on suspiciously.

"There is no need for them to stay in your room, girls! They can stay in Ichigo's room!" Isshin said in a weird pose.

"I don't have any problem with that," Altria said.

"Neither do I," Artoria agreed.

"R-Really?! Y-You two will stay with him in the same room?! W-What about you, Onii-chan?!" Yuzu asked with a blush.

"Well, if they are okay with it…" Ichigo said, blushing as well.

"Well, it is not a problem since we are in a relationship," Altria admitted with a blush.

"So _that's_ why you two are staying here! So you two can be close to him!" Karin accused bluntly.

"Maybe…?" Ichigo muttered, scratching his cheek with a finger. "There's one problem with that, though: There's only _one bed_."

"Oh, don't worry; I will get you the beds, and _please_ call me 'daddy' from now on, you two! Since you two are going to be staying here permanently after a few years, I'm sure of it!" Isshin declared boisterously.

"It's _way_ too early for that," Ichigo said. "Let me show you my room, since it will be _our_ room from now." He led them inside his room as he went and opened the window to look outside.

"Oh, I forgot," Ichigo said

"What is it?" Altria asked.

"What did you forget?" Artoria asked, as she put their new clothes into the closet.

"Okaeri," Ichigo said with a warm smile.

The girls looked at each other as they smiled and replied to him.

"Tadaima," they said together.

* * *

 **Notes**

 **1) Saber is in her Lancer class stage two clothes and armour with stage three crown. The lance is Rhongomyniad.**

 **2) Saber Alter is in Lancer class stage two clothes and armour, with stage one skirt from waist, and stage three crown. The lance is black Rhongomyniad.**

 **3) Ichigo in Gilgamesh armour. The dark blue lines are replaced with black. His hair when he fought Ulquiorra in Vasto Lorde form.**

* * *

 ** _And the third chapter is done I hope you all enjoy it took a while to write this chapter but I did it somehow and I was able to write about the Bankai thanks to Jeanne D'Arc My Waifu as he was the one who gave me ideas about the Bankai thank you again and from next chapter Arrancar arc will begin look forward to it and I know I said that I will post a story about Ichigo as a heroic spirit but I just wasn't able to come up with a good plot about it so I am sorry but I plan on making a new story I have put a pole to choose which pair should I make IchigoxScathach, IchigoxJeanne D'Arc or IchigoxScathachxJeanne D'Arc please vote and leave a review._**

 ** _Next time: New friends and New enemies_**

 ** _See you in the next chapter_**


	4. New friends and New enemies

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _P.S.- The first three chapters have been updated after being checked by beta tester._**

 ** _Beta Tester:_** ** _ThunderReborn and ekaterina016_**

* * *

 **Recap _:_** _Ichigo led Artoria and Altria inside his room, as he went and opened the window to look outside._

 _"Oh, I forgot," Ichigo said._

 _"What is it?" Altria asked._

 _"What did you forget?" Artoria repeated, as she put their new clothes in the closet._

 _"Okaeri," Ichigo said, with a warm smile._

 _The girls looked at each other, as they smiled and replied to him._

 _"Tadaima," they said together._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 4: New friends and New enemies_**

* * *

 **Post-Soul Society  
The next morning…**

The morning sunlight shined throughout the residence of Karakura Town, entering through the windows and illuminating the sleeping faces on Ichigo's bed. He woke up with a grunt at the brightness, while also enjoying the weight of two of his girlfriends' heads on his head, where it rested on their chests, close enough he could feel the warmth of their breath.

"Good morning Artoria. Altria," He said, carefully sitting up.

As they're connected to him, they woke up at almost the same moment, opening their mouths and letting out a yawn. "Well… good morning to you too, handsome," Altria said, sitting up and giving Ichigo a good morning kiss on the lips.

"Good morning, Ichigo. How was your sleep?" Artoria greeted, following her twin with another kiss.

Ichigo turned to face her, replying, "It was good, Artoria."

Suddenly, heavy footsteps could be heard from outside the door, and much to their grimace, Isshin came barrelling in through the door with a side-on kick while screaming as usual.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORNING, ICHIGO!"

Ichigo went ahead and grabbed Isshin's ankle, throwing him out of his room and sending his father flying into a nearby wall. The boy shook his head as he closed the door.

"OH, MY BOY! I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO TEACH YOU! NOW YOU CAN QUICKLY MAKE GRANDCHILDREN WITH MY THIRD AND FOURTH DAUGHTERS!" Isshin yelled, as he made the couple blush.

"We're way too young to become parents…" Ichigo muttered, his face a little red from blushing.

"Yes. I believe it is a bit early for us to conceiving a child. We should wait five or six years first," Artoria said.

"I don't really have any problem if we have a child _now_ ," Altria admitted with a straight face, making Ichigo and Artoria's eyes widen. Somehow, Isshin heard what Altria said from behind the door, starting to cry tears of joy.

"Really, Altria? Did you need to give him more fuel?" Ichigo asked. Artoria glared at Altria.

"Look… I'm sorry, OK?" Altria said.

Ichigo sighed. "Come on let's go down and eat breakfast."

On their way down, they bumped into the recently-awakened Karin, greeting each other courteously considering the amount of time they'd actually spent together as a family. Yuzu was already in the kitchen when they reached downstairs.

"Moring, everyone!" Yuzu yelled from the kitchen. "Please set the table up. I'm almost done with making breakfast.

"Make sure you have extra portions for Artoria and Altria. They eat _a lot_ ," Ichigo said. Artoria and Altria blushed as they smacked Ichigo's shoulder. Yuzu giggled, obliging, as everyone quickly sat down at the table when she served everyone breakfast.

"Itadakimasu!"

"Oh, my god... This is delicious!" Artoria praised.

"I agree, Sister. This is definitely one of the best things I've ever ate," Altria said.

Yuzu blushed at their compliments. A few moments later, Isshin had regained his bearings and joined them, though all three Kurosakis were surprised by how much the twins were eating.

The scene was perfect material for Isshin's teasing. "Just one shot in a night was enoguh, huh, Ichigo…? They're eating enough for four people, not two!" He whispered, much to his son's heavy blush.

Both Artoria and Altria heard that comment, however, and instantly struck. The former kicked him in the head, knocking him off his chair, and Altria summarily gripped his falling body and threw it outside to the municipal trash can on the side of the road.

"They'll fit right in," Karin joked.

When they'd finished eating, Yuzu asked, "So, what are you planning to do today?"

"I'm planning to give Altria and Artoria a tour of Karakura Town, first," Ichigo lied. Yuzu seemed to buy it, though, and didn't pry further.

They went back upstairs and changed. Artoria was dressed in a blue, knee-length skirt with tights and white shirt with a blue string tie, and brown boots. **(1)**

Altria was dressed in a tucked black V top tee with matching black jean shorts; wrapped around her waist is a white belt. She has a black and red jacket on top, along with black shoes on. **(2)**

"Wow…" Ichigo breathed out.

"Like what you see?" Altria teased. Ichigo confidently nodded, reversing the blush back to her.

Artoria looked over at what she wore, muttering quietly in doubt, "Is this too casual? Does Ichigo not like it?"

Ichigo answered her doubts by a sudden kiss on the lips. "Artoria, I love what you're wearing. Don't compare yourself with what Altria is wearing; I want you to be happy with what you wear." With Artoria smiling again, Ichigo began to change, as he put on a plain grey shirt and blue jeans.

"So, what are you planning to do today?" Artoria asked outside the house.

"I think today we train my Hollow and Quincy powers."

"That's a good idea. We can even ask Uryū for some help."

"Artoria, are you sure we should bring Uryū into this? I'm not sure how he would react."

"Come on, Ichigo. What's the worst that could happen?" Altria said.

Ichigo sighed as he pulled out his phone, calling and waiting for the bespectacled boy to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Uryū, where is your house?"

"Why?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"And it needs to be at my house?"

"Yes."

"Haa... Very well. I'll text you my address," Uryū said, as he hung up.

"Alright, then, let's go."

It took them half an hour before they found Uryū's house, which was a large white western-style house. When they walked up front door and rang the doorbell, the door opened after a minute to reveal Uryū greeting them.

"Ichigo."

"Uryū."

"Come on in." He led them all to a living room. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

" _I_ asked him to come here," Artoria said.

"Why?"

"You should know why," Artoria raised her hand and began to gather her Reiatsu. Slowly, a bow made of Reiatsu formed.

"No way…" Uryū was completely shocked. "Does that mean you are…?"

"Yes. I am part Quincy," Ichigo said.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"I just recently discovered it."

"When did you know?"

"I knew before we left to Soul Society."

"I see… What do you want with me?" Uryū asked, though he had a good guess what he wanted.

"Can you help me learn my Quincy heritage?"

"Do you want to know everything, or just the techniques?"

"Any relevant knowledge and techniques."

"Very well, let's go downstairs," Uryū said, after a few moments of thought.

"Not so fast, Uryū."

A middle-aged man interrupted them, standing nearby. His figure and dressing behaviour was similar to Uryū, if not crisper and stricter, though his older countenance made the guests assume he's the boy's older relative.

"Ryūken..."

"What are you planning to do? Take this stranger to our sacred training area?"

"Ryūken, Ichigo is a Quincy," Uryū explained. Ichigo noticed the man showed no favourable reaction to this statement.

 _'Strange... I expected him to be curious about how I have Quincy powers. But he showed no reaction at all? That's unlikely… unless this isn't something he doesn't already know before.'_

"You knew, didn't you?" Ichigo accused. Uryū and Ryūken turned to him, when he continued, "Based on your lack of reaction to what Uryū told you, you already knew I was part Quincy, didn't you?"

"I did," Ryūken confessed.

"So you know my parents… and their heritage," Ichigo said.

"I do, especially your mother," Ryūken said. "Based on what I've seen, I didn't expect you to awaken your Quincy powers."

"So, Ryūken, will you allow me to teach Ichigo the ways of a Quincy?" Uryū asked once more.

"Yes, you can teach your _cousin_ the ways of a Quincy."

"W-Wait…"

"Did you just say…" Ichigo said.

"Yes, he did," Uryū confirmed, as he turned to Ichigo.

"My _cousin_?!" Ichigo replied, as he turned to Uryū.

"Yes. All Quincies are technically cousins. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the hospital," Ryūken said and left them.

"Well, let's go, then," Uryū said, quickly regaining his composure, and led the three of them to the underground training room. "Before we begin your training, you need a Quincy bracelet."

"Like the one you have?"

"That is right; to use Quincy abilities, then you need a Quincy bracelet as a medium," Artoria explained.

"Take this," Uryū pulled a spare bracelet from his pocket.

"You had two of these?" Ichigo asked, as he accepted the bracelet.

"I like to be prepared."

Ignoring Ichigo's reactions, Artoria instructed, "First, you have to form a bow. Let your Reiatsu flow into the bracelet."

"Wait! You're supposed to use the Reshi around you, not the Shinigami way!" Uryū said.

"That is correct, if you are trying to kill _Hollows_ ," Artoria said. "In order for you to _purify_ the soul, you need to use your internal Reiatsu."

"Oh."

"Don't try to do it. Your body won't be able to produce enough Reiatsu to do it," Ichigo warned Uryū, as his closed his eyes and began to concentrate on what Artoria told him to do. The bracelet began to glow and form a shape, taking on a similar shape to Artoria's earlier effort, though much rougher in detail.

"Control your Reiatsu. Don't think about the bracelet. Think about the bow," Uryū said. It took a few more minutes before Ichigo had an actual bow in his hands. The bespectacled boy then went into a nearby shed and pulled out a few training dolls.

"You were finally able to do it!" Artoria said when Uryū returned.

"It was quite hard," Ichigo sighed.

"Now, that you have formed a bow, you need to practice using it," Artoria said.

"She is right. It is useless if you can't hit anyone with it," Altria said.

"I've set up the dolls. They are approximately four meters away. Now, try to shoot them," Uryū commanded.

Ichigo pointed his Reiatsu bow at the first target. He took aim at the moving targets, as he waited for the perfect shot.

"The enemies are not stupid. Will they really let you sit there and take aim?" Artoria commented from the side.

"I know! This is my first time doing archery, alright?!" Ichigo finally fired his arrow. It soared through the air and flew over the human-like target. The grinning monster mask with the _'X'_ on its forehead seemed to mock Ichigo as it approached closer.

"Gah…" Ichigo groaned as he watched the arrow missed.

Uryū sighed from his spot. "That enemy killed you the moment you failed to kill it the first time. You need to be able to fire and hit a vital spot in less the time it takes for it to move to you... like _now_ ," he instructed.

Ichigo scowled as he was soon face-to-face with the grinning mask, which had finally arrived in front of him via the mechanism on the ground. The training doll began to move back as Uryū rewound the mechanism.

"Alright, let's try again," Ichigo said. Ichigo took aim and fired again at the target. This time, he was able to hit it in the shoulder. His hands went up in a victorious fist pump as he yelled, "Oh, yeah, good shot!"

"...Great, now do it _again_ ," Artoria said.

Ichigo blinked. "What?" He managed to mumble before the target stopped in front of him, seemingly laughing at his failure... until he realized it was Uryū.

"Just because you landed one good hit doesn't mean you're good. Shoot ten arrows on this next run before it gets to you," Altria said, as she palmed her forehead and groaned. He nodded and took aim again at the training doll as it moved back into its starting place. As instructed, he quickly fired off ten arrows before the thing moved closer. The result shocked them all.

"You got three out of ten! And two of them were in its legs!" Uryū said.

"It seems I don't really have an aptitude for archery," Ichigo said, depressed.

"Actually, you have the aptitude," Uryū said. Ichigo looked at him. "When I first tried, it took me the rest of that day to even hit it once."

"Really? It took you the entire day?"

"Mh-hm," Uryū nodded his head. "You are doing better than I did."

"Fire again. This time, quicker and more precise," Artoria said.

"Okay," Ichigo said, tried to hit them again. The rest of the day flew by quickly as Ichigo slowly got better at shooting arrows with his Reiatsu bow, which meant at the end of the day, his fingers were completely sore.

"Thank you for your help, Uryū," Ichigo said genuinely outside the mansion, about to leave.

"No need to thank me. I was just repaying you for helping me to get back my powers."

"I think he has learned the basics, and I can take over from here on," Artoria said.

"Very well. If you are sure, then I will leave the rest to you," Uryū said, "Goodbye."

"See you later!"

For the next few days, they focused solely on his Quincy training, choosing a secluded area in Karakura Park to do so. Naturally, he couldn't just destroy his surroundings like he did in Urahara's place, so he mainly entered his inner world to do so.

* * *

 **Mindscape**

The three of them were standing in Artoria's side of the mindscape, dressed in their normal battle attire.

 **"Ichigo, we will continue with what we started at Uryū's house,"** Artoria said, snapping her fingers. In front of them, a familiar target doll appeared.

"Artoria, why are we doing it here instead of at Uryū's house?"

 **"By doing it here, you don't lose any of your Reiatsu, because this is just simulation. While different from physical practice, the aspect you're lacking most in archery is your mind. This way is more efficient."**

"I see," Ichigo said, as he formed his Quincy Bow with an arrow nocked, and fired it. The arrow flew and hit the target on the shoulder. He repeated it again and again, until the target doll stopped moving, when he managed to fire seventeen arrows. Out of those, though, the doll only had seven arrows stuck on its thorax, three on the legs, two on the chest and two more on its shoulders.

 **"Again,"** Artoria ordered, as the target doll reset.

Ichigo sighed as he continued the exercise. By the end of that day, Ichigo managed to fire thirty arrows, with twenty of those hitting the target. Out of those twenty, ten of them hit the doll's chest, five hit the doll's head and the last five hit the doll's shoulders.

 **"Good job,"** Artoria said, kissing Ichigo as a reward.

* * *

 **Day 2**

In the second day, Artoria set up the same the target, though this time twice as far: eight meters. **"This time, I want you to practice the mechanics of shooting the arrows, instead of purely aiming,"** Artoria said.

It was practically a finger muscle-building exercise. Firing continuously non-stop at the moving target, Artoria forced his physical limits to the edge, and after several hours of practice, Avalon's passive ability was needed to continuously heal and support his destroyed thumb.

 **"You're not allowed to activate Avalon's passive ability, by the way,"** Artoria said. **"Your training isn't complete. This _pain_ ,"** she pointed in slight disdain, touching Ichigo's bloody fingers, **"is but a pinprick, compared to what could have happened if you failed. Use this pain to motivate you."**

Ichigo bit his lip as he raised his bow again, resuming his shooting. By the end of the six-hour mark, Ichigo's fingers were beginning to bleed again, almost tearing his flesh off. By the eight-hour mark, Artoria finally ended the training, when Ichigo's fingers were already covered in wet and dried blood. The pain was inconsequential compared to the soreness of his arms, because the nerve endings on his fingers were long gone.

 **"I'm sorry, Ichigo…"** Artoria regretfully said, activated Avalon's healing ability. The golden Reiatsu began to glow around Ichigo's fingers, healing the damage from the training.

Ichigo shook his head. "You are just doing what is good for me. But… how many arrows did I fire?" Ichigo asked.

 **"You managed to fire 4,754 arrows,"** Artoria answered.

"How many of them hit the target?"

 **"3,842 arrows did."**

"Wow," Ichigo said.

 **"It _is_ impressive,"** Artoria said, as they left the mindscape.

* * *

 **Day 3**

 **"This time, I decided we should focus on some of the other techniques a Quincy has available,"** Artoria started.

"Okay… I am ready," Ichigo replied.

 **"The first technique is Hirenkyaku, Quincy's speed ability."**

"It will be good to learn it, since I will be able to use it even in real my body."

Artoria nodded in agreement. **"Ichigo, I need you to forget everything Yoruichi taught you about Shunpō."**

"Okay…?" Ichigo said, rather unsure.

 **"Hirenkyaku and Shunpō, while both speed techniques, but hey run on two entirely different principles. When a Shinigami uses Shunpō, they are using their Reiatsu to act like a spring to move their body. This allows them to travel long distances with a short amount of steps."**

"Yes, I know that."

 **"But Hirenkyaku works on a different principle. You have to manipulate the surrounding Reishi and attach it to your feet and legs. When you do that, you can essentially 'pull' yourself in a direction you choose."**

"Isn't this similar to roller skating?" Ichigo asked, as he remembered doing it with Yuzu and Karin once.

 **"The concept is very similar,"** Artoria said. " **You have to have a high control over Reishi to master this technique. It also helps if you have decent knowledge of physics."**

"It sounds quite hard…" Ichigo complained.

 **"It's actually far easier than it sounds, but then again, I represent your Quincy powers, so my opinion could be biased. But I know you'll master this with some training and practice."**

With that, Ichigo spent an hour practicing how to do Hirenkyaku properly. Once Artoria was confident his mastery of it, they would test it using… _playing tag_. Altria would stick with Shunpō in the game, while Ichigo and Artoria would use Hirenkyaku.

In the game of tag, Ichigo understood the minute differences between Hirenkyaku and Shunpō. The latter was faster, but it was hard to change direction mid-step, while Hirenkyaku was ultimately slower, but it allowed more control.

The game of tag ended with Ichigo being 'it', before he managed to hug both of them and took them to the ground. They laid on the soft green grass, laughing and smiling.

With their training over, they left the mindscape.

* * *

 **Day 5**

Everyone arrived to see a familiar set-up from the day before. The target doll was once again eight meters away, as they now could refocus on actual accuracy. Ichigo sighed as he formed his Quincy Bow, with an arrow nocked, and began to fire it. This time, though, he managed to last six hours with only numbness in his fingers, unlike last time. With improved control, his bow's form had evolved into a large cross, with a pentacle guard around his hand.

As he continued to fire his arrows, only by the ten-hour mark that his hand was once again bleeding.

 **"Impressive. That was arrow number 6,275,"** Altria said.

 **"It is, but he can do more. I'm sure of it,"** Artoria said. She appeared next to Ichigo, ordering, **"Again, Ichigo!"** Ichigo obliged, but winced when the blood on his hands flowed faster. **"Ignore the pain, Ichigo. The only way to pass your limits… are to endure them,"** she said harshly.

Spurred on, he continued to shoot, with each shot sending searing pain through him. But after a few seconds, the pain disrupted Ichigo's concentration to the point of no return, inadvertently dispersing his bow. He bit his lower lips out of pain, but also frustration in disappointing Artoria's demand.

Artoria had once again forbid Ichigo from using Avalon passive ability to heal his wounds. **"You succeeded in forming 6,280 arrows today, as opposed to the 4,754 you created two days ago. This is an accomplishment; this pain you feel should motivate you, because the training will only get harder,"** she stated as she looked at Ichigo apathetically. She knew she was being hard on Ichigo, but she knew the challenges ahead were far worse than this. Coddling him with only make him too dependent.

"I understand," Ichigo voiced.

 **"You may think I'm being harsh,"** Artoria said softly. **"I only want what's best for you. I want you strong enough to protect yourself."**

With a new determination, Ichigo summoned his Quincy Bow again. But when he tried to gather Reiatsu as he notched the bow string, his arms went numb. Gritting his teeth, he did at least manage to fire one arrow to hit the target in the head.

"I… can't feel my arms anymore," Ichigo said.

 **"Very well,"** Artoria said, activating Avalon's healing ability. The golden Reiatsu began to glow around Ichigo's fingers, healing the damage from the training. **"You've improved from yesterday, though, tomorrow, we well learn something else."**

Ichigo smiled, completely spent.

* * *

 **Day 6**

 **"Today, I will teach you another Quincy technique,"** Artoria said. Beside her, a training doll was placed on the ground. **"The first technique I will teach you is called Ransōtengai."** She created blue wire-thin Reiatsu strings, and had them wrap around the training doll. **"This technique allows the user to control their body as one would with a puppet."**

The training doll slowly stood up. **"It allows them to move freely despite paralysis, broken limbs, or any other force which would impede normal movement."** It jumped around according to her fingers' movements. **"Your goal is to do the same thing,"** Artoria said, finally deactivating Ransōtengai, allowing the body to fall in front of Ichigo.

He took a deep breath, attempting to visualize and copy what she did, compressing and thinning out his Reiatsu into strings. _'So far, so good…'_ Ichigo thought, as the Reiatsu strings wrapped around the training doll, managing to stand it up.

 **"Good. Now, start moving it,"** Artoria instructed. Ichigo used Ransōtengai to try to get it to move, but it took a few tries before he managed to get the training doll to run around. **"Good. Now, bring the training doll back here."** Ichigo moved the training doll back in front of Artoria, before cutting the Reiatsu strings, collapsing the training doll.

 **"Ichigo... I'm sorry!"**

"Wha-? GAH!"

Artoria grabbed Ichigo's arm and _broke_ it. **"Now, use Ransōtengai to move your right arm."**

Glaring at her, Ichigo focused on gather his Reiatsu strings and having it wrapped around his arm. Slowly, painfully, he used Ransōtengai to move his arm up and down, with shots of pain running up his arm every time he did so.

 **"Good."** Artoria activated Avalon's passive ability, healing the damage.

"You could have warned me."

 **"I know, and I'm sorry I hurt you, but I don't regret it."**

"I know."

 **"The other technique I will teach you for right now is called Blut,"** Artoria said, as she dissipated her arm sleeves, where he noticed sky-blue lines were crawling all over her alabaster skin. **"This is about forcing your Reiatsu directly into your blood vessels, which can drastically increase your attack or defensive power to inhuman levels."**

Ichigo nodded in understanding. **"This is Blut Arterie, the offensive form,"** Artoria said, as he observed the lines grew darker from earlier. **"The other one is called Blut Vene."** As she said that, the lines on her arms regained their previous luster.

Ichigo took a deep breath, as he carefully focused his Reiatsu into his blood. **"Good. Now, then, think of whether you want to use Blut Arterie or Blut Vene."**

 _'Blut Vene!'_ Ichigo thought, as his arms began to glow with sky-blue lines.

 **"Good. Now, switch to Blut Arterie."**

 _'Blut Arterie!'_ Ichigo thought. His arms lost the sky-blue lines, replaced by dark blue lines.

 **"Good job,"** Artoria said, as Ichigo deactivated Blut Arterie. **"As of right now, this are all the Quincy techniques I will focus on teaching you. There are some more, but you should master these first."**

 **"Finally!"** Altria proclaimed, as Artoria rolled her eyes. **"Tomorrow, we will start formally teaching you how to use our Bankai."**

Ichigo nodded, eager to start.

* * *

 **Day 7-10**

Artoria and Altria spent the next three days teaching Ichigo how to use their Bankai, Rhongomyniad, mostly regarding the strain the lances exerted on his body, as his raw power was already enough to activate it. His progress was so-so – in his own standards – as he only grew from being able to use it for 10 minutes to 3 hours in these three days.

After that, he decided his Kidō needed some brushing up with Tessai.

Ururu was the one greeting them when they reached Urahara Shōten, sweeping the ground out front.

"Hello, Ururu," Ichigo said. "Is Tessai inside the store?"

"Hello, Kurosaki-san," Ururu replied. "He is."

When he slid the door open, Urahara, Tessai, and Yoruichi were already inside, sitting down and drinking tea.

"My, my… Kurosaki-san and his beautiful ladies had graced us with their presence," Urahara joked.

"Are you here to resume your Kidō training?" Tessai asked.

"That is right."

"Please, go ahead. I will join you three in about twenty minutes," Tessai said. Ichigo, Artoria and Altria nodded as they went to Ichigo's temporary bedroom, where he used his badge to separate their souls from their respective bodies. After that, they entered the Underground Training Grounds.

 **"Since he will take some time to come here, let's begin your Hollow powers training."**

"Are you sure we should do it here?" Ichigo asked hesitation.

 **"No need to worry. Remember, Tessai said this place has special Kidō in place to prevent any Reiatsu from leaving the Training Grounds,"** Artoria said.

 **"In order for you to access your Hollow powers, you need to summon your Hollow Mask. As long as the mask is your face, you can access my power. If the mask is destroyed or fallen off, you lose access to your Hollow abilities until you manifest the mask again,"** Altria said.

"Okay… let's get started."

 **"In order for you to summon your Hollow Mask, you must gather your Reiatsu into the you're your hand,"** Altria instructed.

Ichigo held up his hand, trying to force his Hollow Reiatsu into his palm. _'This is much harder than I thought…'_ He was having problem gathering the Reiatsu, though.

 **"Don't force it. Your Hollow abilities and techniques are based on your instincts."**

 _'Alright, instinctual? Let's try it like this, then.'_ Ichigo stopped trying to force his Hollow Reiatsu into his palm; instead, he created a path for the Hollow Reiatsu to flow through. Slowly, black Reiatsu with red outline started to form into his palm.

 **"Good. Now, bring up the energy to your face and drag it across."**

Ichigo did as Altria told him, and he could feel his Reiatsu massively increasing. His Hollow mask was dark violet, similar in shape to the head of a dragon. It has two horns pointing forward with two large horns extending outwards, with a gap for Ichigo's eyes, revealing he now has black sclera and pupils. That gap also was adorned by small fangs, as if the small gap was the mouth of a dragon. **(3)**

"I feel so powerful! _"_ Ichigo said. His voice has a weird echo to it. Suddenly, the mask cracked and shattered, leaving him to fall to the ground, completely exhausted.

"*huff*… What the… *huff*… hell…!" Ichigo tried to catch his breath as he laid on the ground, cracked from the Reiatsu he summoned earlier.

 **"Your body wasn't used to the sudden burst of Hollow Reiatsu. With more practice, your body will get used to it. Anyways, we can try again when you heal up."**

Unbeknownst to them, they were observed by Urahara and Tessai, who arrived to see Ichigo had on a Hollow mask. They were so busy with their training they failed to notice the two men's presence.

"He must have gotten a Hollow in the Shattered Shaft, and it just tried to take over," Tessai guessed.

"It seems like that," Urahara said.

"Will you call _them_ to take care of Ichigo?"

"I will. They probably would be happy to have a new member in their family," Urahara answered in his childish tone. "Plus, I think Aizen will make his next move soon."

"Hmm… he will need all the powers he can get," Tessai said.

"Well, I think you should begin his Kidō training now," Urahara suggested.

"Hmm… you are right."

* * *

 **Kurosaki Household**

Today would be the start of the new semester in Karakura High School for the three newcomers.

As usual, Ichigo was awakened by the bright sunlight seeping through his windows, enjoying the warmth and softness of his two girlfriends' body and sleeping faces.

Unfortunately, _as usual_ , the morning annoyance came.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORNING ICHIGO!"

Ichigo and the girls sat up quickly, as Isshin had busted in the door and lunged at him. Like a choreographed movement, he snagged his father's ankle before Isshin could hit him, and threw him out of the window.

"Is it too much for him to leave us alone for _one morning?!_ " Ichigo said, annoyed.

"I really going to kill him if he keeps on doing this every morning," Altria said.

"Just what purpose does it serve him when he does it?" Artoria asked.

"It is better to not think about what goes through his mind," Ichigo said, getting up from the bed. "Let's get ready today is your first day in school."

"Yeah," Altria said.

"Okay," Artoria said. They also got up from the bed and went to the washroom.

With their morning routine complete, they exchanged their usual greetings with Ichigo's sisters and met up in the dining room. Isshin recovered slightly faster this time, already camping there while they're cleaning themselves up and reading a newspaper.

The surprise came from Yuzu's selection of food: English-style breakfast.

"You have gotten better again, Yuzu," Ichigo complemented while savouring the food.

"Yes. Yuzu, you keep getting better every dish you make," Artoria said.

"Indeed, I don't think I will ever find any dish which could come close to your cooking," Altria said, as she found her dishes better then what she had tasted in most cafés or restaurants.

"Yeah, it's really great Yuzu," Karin said.

"OF COURSE, MY LITTLE GIRL IS A FAR BETTER COOK THEN THEY CAN EVER BE!" Isshin yelled.

"Oh, no, I just tried my best…!" Yuzu said, blushing from all the praise.

Yuzu and Karin really liked Artoria and Altria. These past two weeks, all the girls got along really well. Unlike what they feared, the older twins were eager to help with Yuzu's house chores, or teach Karin some basic self-defence when she asked. There was one time when the four girls walked across a wedding specialty store in their tour of the town, which the younger twins quickly sought to tease Artoria and Altria. It's gotten to the point it's fortunate Isshin never found out of that particular discussion.

On their way to school, they met up with Uryū, Chad, and Orihime.

"Are you two ready for your first day in school?" Orihime asked.

"It's nothing new. We have seen everything from Ichigo's head already," Altria said, bored.

"Well, _I_ am quite excited," Artoria said.

"So… how were your remaining holidays?" Ichigo asked.

"It was wonderful. I spent some time with Tatsuki," Orihime said in her usual over-the-top happiness.

"I went on a road trip with some friends," Chad voiced.

"How was yours, Uryū?" Ichigo asked.

"I did some training," Uryū said, pushing up his glasses.

When they arrived at school, they separated, as Ichigo needed to take the twins to the office for registration. But when he alone returned to the classroom, an eerily-familiar scene played out in front of the class.

"IIIICCCHHHHIIIGOOO!"

Ichigo sighed in annoyance, simply taking a step to the side while holding out his arm. Suddenly, a guy hit it in a pseudo-lariat and fell onto the floor.

The knock seemed to do nothing to his health, however. "Hey! What happened to your hair and skin, man?" The guy stood up. "Wow... even your eyes and hair are different…"

Ichigo sighed and thought about how many times he had to explain to everyone why he looked different.

"It's nothing. Just a little something you don't need to need to worry Keigo," Ichigo finally said, as he walked past Keigo to his seat. He chose to quietly brood and stare out of the window as he waited for the sure-fire chaos which was going to erupt, when Artoria and Altria introduced themselves later. The usual actions from his classmates were happening in the background, as lively as ever. Orihime was sexually harassed by Chizuru, who is a pervert lesbian, while Tatsuki would immediately attack Chizuru and tell her to stop.

 _'She should just learn Tatsuki will always stop her,'_ Ichigo thought.

"Have you heard? We are getting some transfer students!"

"I heard they are girls."

"Yeah, I heard they are _so_ beautiful."

Everyone began to talk among themselves about the transfer students, excited about meeting them. Soon, the teacher walked in the classroom as everyone quiets down and went to their seats. "All right everyone. I guess most of you know, but today we have some transfer students!" The teacher announced. "Come in, you three."

 _'Three?'_ Ichigo thought, confused.

The door opened, as two girls and a boy entered. The latter has brown eyes and jaw-length blonde hair with a straight cut, dressed in the standard Karakura school uniform, though he had a newsboy cap on and a long coat. ' _Something different about him…'_

"Oh my god, they are so beautiful!"

"They are so gorgeous."

"It's like they are some super-idols."

"I have never seen anyone more beautiful than them."

"Okay, kids, quiet down!" The teacher yelled at the class. "Now, you three, introduce yourselves!"

"My name is Artoria Pendragon," Artoria came forward and introduced herself.

"I am Altria Pendragon," Altria introduced herself next.

"Nice to meet you all! I'm Shinji Hirako," the blonde boy introduced himself.

"And if you guys have any questions for them, wait till the class ends, as we are already late," The teacher addressed the class, as some hands were already raised.

"You girls can take a seat to each of Kurosaki's side. And as for you, Hirako-san, you can sit behind him." The teacher pointed at Ichigo. The new students went to him and took their seats.

"It's nice to meet you, Ichigo. I hope we become good friends," Shinji said with a smile.

"It is nice to meet you too," Ichigo said.

The class began soon, as Ichigo's mind drifted towards how much strong he had become after his training towards Artoria and Altria.

 _'After all those training sessions, I have got better at wielding both of my Shikais. But my Bankai is still difficult to maintain for a long time. I need to continue the endurance training to handle it. I have mastered many of the Quincy techniques Artoria taught me. Besides Bankai, using my Hollow powers is still a major issue. I can only materialize my mask for about nine seconds before it breaks. For the past month in training, I've been constantly summoning my mask, but I still have a long way to go…'_ he thought, sighing.

Before he knew it, the bell for lunch break rang. Everyone immediately surrounded all the new students and began to ask them questions.

"Where are you two from?" A random student asked.

"We are from Britain," Artoria answered the student.

"Do you two have a boyfriend?" Another student asked.

"Yes, we do," Altria said, as she crushed most of the boys' heart in the class.

"Where are you living right now?"

"Well, we are living with Ichigo," Altria said, as the class turned to look at Ichigo.

"ICHIGO! WHAT DO THEY MEAN THEY ARE LIVING WITH YOU?!" A random student asked.

"Their father is a distant relative of my father. So he has sent them to leave with us," Ichigo said, walking towards them.

"No way! I won't let you have these babies!" Chizuru said, as she tried to grope Altria, but she caught the pervert's hands.

"If you ever try to do that, or even _think_ about doing that again to me or to my sister, then you will find these hands missing," Altria said to Chizuru. Everyone in the class started to sweat buckets, as they all felt a chill ran in their spine. "Do you understand what I just said?" Altria asked, glaring at Chizuru.

"Yes! Yes! I understand!" Chizuru replied as she nodded her head like a broken record.

"Good," Altria said, as she finally let her hands go.

"I think that is enough questions. Why don't you guys get lunch and let them have some space?!" Ichigo yelled at the crowd, standing up. Everyone immediately parted, allowing them to leave quickly to the roof to eat their lunch. Ichigo and the girls sat down as they unpacked the lunch Yuzu made for them.

"IIICCHHHIIGOO!" An obnoxious voice yelled, causing Ichigo to sigh. _'Just when will he learn?'_ Before Keigo could hug him, Ichigo punched Keigo in the face; sending him flying, but Keigo managed to recover from Ichigo's attack.

"Ichigo! What are you doing!? Eating with the new girls and not have the decency of inviting me?!" Keigo yelled, causing Ichigo to him a deadpan stare.

"Why did you ask me what I was doing, when you are already here and seeing what I am doing? It's kind of redundant to do that. And as to why I didn't invite you… was simple," Ichigo voiced. "Because you're an idiot."

"That's no excuse to try and hog them to yourself! We're best friends, if you're sitting next to two hot chicks, at least let me have one!" Keigo whined, deflating.

"He does know we can hear him right?" Artoria whispered to Ichigo and Altria.

"He's probably too much of an idiot to think that," Altria said.

"Keigo, if you are finished, then let's eat our lunches, as we don't have much time," Ichigo said, and everyone sat down.

"So… is Japan to your liking?" Mizuiro asked.

"Yes, this country is really good. We're glad we came here," Artoria replied.

"This idiot isn't giving you two any trouble, is he?" Tatsuki asked, pointing her chopstick at Ichigo.

"No, you need not to worry. He is a perfect gentleman and is really good at taking care of us," Artoria said.

"Well, if he gives you any problem tell me. I will take care of him."

"Hey, Ichigo… I just noticed some of your hair is a different colour," Mizuiro said.

"Your right. Even your eyes are now different colour," Tatsuki said.

"Not only that, but Ichigo's skin is paler," Mizuiro said.

"Yeah, Ichigo, what happened? Are you trying a new look or what?" Tatsuki asked.

"Something like that," Ichigo said, looking away from them.

As Tatsuki stared at Ichigo, she finally noticed how the new girls were sitting very close to him. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at the suspicious action. _'What is their relationship with Ichigo? Are they just friends… or more?'_

As Ichigo and the others were enjoying their food, Artoria whispered something in Ichigo's ear. "Ichigo... That other transfer student has a very unusual Reiatsu. It's very similar to yours."

"Thanks, Artoria," Ichigo muttered quietly as he went back to eating, but let his mind wander. _'Shinji's Reiatsu is similar to mine…?'_ That could mean a wide variety of things. _'He could by a Shinigami with Hollow powers, a Shinigami with Quincy powers, a Quincy with Hollow powers, a Shinigami… a Quincy… So many possibilities, and I can't confront him. He could be a spy working for someone. He could also want me for something. Confronting him could tip him off. I should wait till he makes his move.'_

After lunch, everyone returned to the class, but the rest of it was uneventful. Ichigo zoned out most of it, and he used the time to think up with different ideas for improving his powers.

* * *

After school, Ichigo and the girls visited to a café and then walked home. As Ichigo opened the door, Ichigo heard running footsteps towards the door.

"Welcome home, IICCHHIIIIIGGGOOOO!" Ichigo's father, as usual, tried to kick him. Ichigo sighs as he just stepped to the side, letting him fly out of the house and crashed into the cement. They ignored Isshin's pained grunt as they went inside the home.

"At first, it was a little interesting, but now it's just annoying," Altria said.

"I still cannot believe what kind of father would randomly attack his son like this," Artoria said.

"I am still trying to figure it out why," Ichigo said.

They noticed Yuzu and Karin weren't home. On the fridge, there was a note from them: _"We're out buying groceries."_

They entered their room to see Kon was lying in his bed, his plushie body covered in all kinds of decorations. When he jumped at Ichigo, the boy easily caught him in the air. Normally he would have jumped at Artoria or Altria, but he quickly learned his lesson after he tried it the first time, getting a _good_ beating from them.

"Ichigo, you have to take me with you to school from tomorrow," Kon said.

"And do tell me why should I do that?" He asked.

"Because of your sister! Look at what she did to me!" Kon yelled.

"Don't worry. I will ask Uryū to fix you again."

"But how many times do I have to go through this?!"

"Jeez... She is just playing with you…"

Suddenly, his Hollow badge started to vibrate. Ichigo grabbed Kon and pulled the pill from the plushie and swallowed it, ejecting his soul form from his body. Artoria and Altria grabbed Ichigo's badge and did the same.

"Remember, do not do anything which will make me or the girls mad. You already know what will happen if you do," Ichigo threatened Kon, who nodded. Ichigo turned to Altria and Artoria. "Are you two ready?"

 **"Of course,"** Altria replied.

 **"Always,"** Artoria said.

The three of them used their respective preferred movement techniques to reach the source of the disturbance from roof to roof – Ichigo and Artoria with Hirenkyaku, and Altria with Shunpō.

 **"Ichigo, I am sensing a different kind of Hollow Reiatsu,"** Artoria informed.

 **"We have to be cautious,"** Altria warned.

Suddenly, a ball of red Hollow Reiatsu fired towards them. They all jumped away from the attack, rotating their heads around to find the source of the attack.

"Damn it, I missed!"

The offending party crashed in front of them, kicking up a lot of dust, which settled to reveal a large humanoid Hollow with a large hole in its chest, along with a broken mask. That Hollow also had a large sword on its back.

"What kind of Hollow is this?" Ichigo uttered.

"ICHIGO KUROSAKI…!"

"You know my name, but I don't know who or what you are?" Ichigo said to the Hollow.

"You should know my name. After all, we have a lot of history together…" the Hollow suggested.

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Grand Fisher…" he snarled.

The Hollow laughed. "So, you _do_ remember me."

"Ichi-nii… what is going on?" Everyone turned to see Yuzu and Karin arrived. They were carrying bags of grocery.

"Artoria. Altria. Get them home," Ichigo ordered.

Artoria and Altria nodded, appearing behind Yuzu and Karin. They grabbed them and returned home.

"Ah. You have _sisters_ ," Grand Fisher grinned. "After I kill you, I should eat them. That way, your family will be together in my stomach!"

Ichigo simply glared silently at Grand Fisher, anger churning in his belly. Unbeknownst to them, Isshin and Urahara arrived some way away, hiding under a Kidō.

"You shouldn't have come, Grand Fisher," Ichigo said, flicking his wrist and letting his Quincy Cross fell out. Isshin's eyes widen in shock, while Urahara narrowed his eyes at the sight.

Grand Fisher narrowed his eyes when he saw the Quincy Cross. He began to laugh. "I remember that little thing. It looks just like your mother's! You should feel somewhat honoured. That thing was the only thing which managed to hurt me in the past decade!" Grand Fisher mocked.

Ichigo simply raised his hand, as his Reiatsu bow formed into a cross with a pentacle around the Quincy Cross.

"I may not be a spiteful person, but you took my mother from me and my family," Ichigo voiced. "I'm not going to charge so foolishly as I did before. This time, I _will_ kill you," he stated, as his body was surrounded by his black and golden Reiatsu.

"Hehehe… For some reason, you feel like a Hollow now!" Grand Fisher announced, before it pulled its large sword off its back. Grand Fisher's mask fully broke, as he grew bigger. "This is the extent of my power!"

Grand Fisher swung his sword towards Ichigo, who pointed his Quincy Bow at him, gathering Reishi and forming a potent arrow at its centre. "Licht Regen." Ichigo said calmly, as he let go of the sprit string, launching dozens of arrows at Grand Fisher. He watched as the Hollow didn't even try to dodge, as all the arrows impaled it dead on.

As soon as he felt the first arrow hit him, he changed his composure.

"GAH!" Grand Fisher yelled. He stopped his attack. "It burns just like hers!"

Now, he tried to use his sword to block the attacks, but Ichigo's attack deliberately ended before he could do anything meaningful, leaving Grand Fisher breathing heavily.

"Say your last prayers, because I will kill you now," Ichigo said.

"You will not kill me, I'm an Arrancar! I'm the strongest of Hollows!" Grand Fisher yelled, as he tried to get up. Ichigo pulled his invisible Excalibur and quickly sliced Grand Fisher's entire body, making him explode into a myriad of spirit particles.

Sighing, Ichigo looked around before returning home, before Isshin and Urahara came out of hiding.

"See? I told you he knew about his heritage," Urahara said.

"But how does he know that anyway?" Isshin asked.

"Well, it seems the girls told him that."

 _"_ It does seem like that," Isshin replied. ' _But I wonder… Why didn't he come to me for answers?'_ He thought.

Ichigo was trying to get home as fast as he could, but suddenly, someone appeared behind him and slashed. The boy reflexively pulled his invisible Excalibur from the sheath and blocked the attack. Glaring, Ichigo turned around to see Shinji Hirako standing there, holding a sword.

"It's nice no meet you again, Ichigo!" Shinji greeted.

"Shinji Hirako… Who are you, really? Why did you attack me?" Ichigo asked, pointing Excalibur at him.

"If you want to know who I am, then see for yourself," Shinji said, as he reached for his face and swiped up, forming a pharaoh-like Hollow mask. "Do you know what this is?" Shinji asked, causing Ichigo's eyes to narrow.

"A person who has a Hollow mask, as well as a Shinigami's Zanpakuto," Ichigo said.

"Yes. I am a Shinigami who has crossed over to the domain of the Hollows. And we called ourselves 'Vizards'. You're just like me... a _Vizard_. I told you… I want us to be friends," Shinji finished, causing Ichigo to narrow his eyes further.

"Vizards, huh…" Ichigo muttered.

"You don't belong with the Shinigamis, so the three of you should join us," Shinji said.

"Well, you are wrong. I am not a Shinigami, I am also not with them… but I don't belong to your group, as well."

"Is that so…?"

"I assume Urahara sent you to us," Ichigo said, as Shinji's eyes widened.

"How did you know that?" Shinji asked.

"What did Urahara told you to do?" Ichigo re-asked, not bothering to answer Shinji's question.

"Well, he wanted me to bring you three to our place and help you control your Inner Hollow… and then train you," Shinji said.

 _"What do you two think?"_ Ichigo asked Artoria and Altria through his mental link.

 ** _"That man knows a lot more about us then he should,"_** Altria said, annoyed.

 ** _"Well, it seems he is just trying to help Ichigo,"_** Artoria pointed out

 _"Should I tell him about you, Altria?"_ Ichigo asked.

 ** _"No. Clearly, he does not know I am different from the other inner Hollows he knows. I recommend we should keep it a secret for now,"_** Altria said.

 ** _"You should try to learn more about him, before doing so,"_** Artoria recommended.

"How long would we be staying with you?"

"That is up to you, really. How quickly you learn will determine how long you stay. We will help you defeat your inner Hollow so it will never try to take over again. After that, we'd train you to access its power."

Ichigo pretended to be interested, but secretly hid his distaste at Shinji's choice of words.

"Before we can join you, I need to know your motives. I want to know… what do the Vizards want?"

Shinji smirked. "Why do you want to know that?"

Ichigo gave the Vizard a serious look. "Well, you Vizards are something which I don't see those Shinigamis are fond of."

"You don't really have a choice, Ichigo. Without our training, your Inner Hollow will try to take over and consume you. You've felt it before, I'm sure – touching on your consciousness, getting stronger...? I'll bet he's even taken over once or twice, before you recovered. It will only get worse. If you don't come with me, and soon, _you'll_ be their greatest threat. Hollows, as you probably well know, will go after your precious girlfriends here first."

 _"If nothing else, we'll know where they are,"_ Ichigo mentally argued while hiding his mirth at Shinji's misunderstanding.

 ** _"I think you should take a look at how they use their powers,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"Well, if you go with him, then you will be able to compare your powers with them and see how different you and they are,"_** Altria said.

"Very well. We will give you an answer tomorrow," Ichigo said.

"That is fine with me," Shinji nodded, before he Shunpō'ed away.

 ** _"That went better than I thought it would,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"I was sure he would stab you in the back or something,"_** Altria said.

* * *

 **Kurosaki Household**

Ichigo returned to his room, only to be immediately tackled by Yuzu and Karin.

"ICHI-NII!" They cried as they hugged him.

"Hey," Ichigo said, as he allowed them to hug him. "Let me get back into my body, at least," he pleaded. They obliged, as he shrugged off their ability to see him in this form, and returned to his real body while his girlfriends took on their gigais.

"Ichi-nii, what was that?" Karin asked.

"Karin!" Yuzu said, shocked her twin would directly ask that question.

Ichigo stared at them, carefully asking, "Are you sure? You could just ignore it and imagine it never happened."

"No, Ichi-nii. I want to know," Karin said.

"So… so do I," Yuzu said.

Ichigo sighed. "Very well. How should I start this?"

"From the very beginning will be good."

"Do a realistic version of the midget's… _explanation_ ," Altria said, implying on the quality of Rukia's… etchings.

Ichigo sighed. "Do you ever wonder what happens when someone dies?" Yuzu and Karin nodded their heads. "When a human die, their souls go to the Reincarnation Cycle or Soul Society. For various reasons, if the soul is unable to do so and it remains too long in the World of the Living, they transform into Hollows, corrupt souls with supernatural powers, with an unending desire to eat other souls. There are a group of beings called Shinigamis who are tasked to help souls enter the Reincarnation Cycle or Soul Society. They also purify the corrupted souls, allowing them to enter the Reincarnation Cycle or Heaven."

"So that was a Hollow?" Yuzu asked.

"Partially correct," Ichigo answered. "That was something else. It is a Hollow with parts of a Shinigami. Don't ask me how it became _that_ ; I'm not too sure myself."

"How'd you become a Shinigami, then?" Karin asked.

"Rukia helped," Ichigo stated, receiving narrowed eyes from Karin.

"So… she's the one who put you in all this danger?" Karin questioned.

"In a way," Ichigo nodded.

"I'll kill her when I see her again!" Karin yelled.

"No need for that. It had to be done, or all of us would have died," Ichigo said, trying to calm her down. "Do you remember a few weeks ago when we had that giant hole in our house?" Yuzu and Karin nodded. "That wasn't a truck. It was a Hollow."

"What!?"

"Exactly. Rukia transferred me her Shinigami power."

"So, are Artoria-nē and Altria-nē Shinigami as well?" Yuzu asked.

"No, they are my Zanpakutō spirits."

"A Zanpakutō?"

"A Zanpakutō is the main weapon of a Shinigami. They are born from a part of the Shinigami's soul," He began. "Each Zanpakutō has a spirit which is the mental representation of that weapon."

"So… they're spirits of your weapons?" Karin clarified.

"In layman's terms, yes," I stated.

"Thanks for telling me, Ichi-nii," Yuzu said, after a moment of pause.

"I thought you would blow me off and ignore me until I forget about today," Karin admitted.

"If I hide this from you, you could be in more danger than you would be, if you didn't know," Ichigo said, to his sister.

"I see," Karin said.

"Dinner should be ready in an hour," Yuzu said, changing the topic and taking Karin away from Ichigo's room.

"Are you sure it was the right thing to tell them?" Altria asked when they left.

"Yes," he stated, getting a nod from the girl in white. "I was telling the truth when I spoke of the possible dangers," Ichigo added.

They then quietly sat upstairs, working on their homework while waiting for Yuzu's call.

"Onii-chan, onē-chan! Dinner is ready!" Yuzu yelled from the kitchen.

When they got down, Ichigo was rather surprised his father was nowhere to be found, as Yuzu carefully served the dishes on the table. "Where is that goat?"

"He said he had something to do," Karin answered.

"So, how was your first day at new school, Artoria-nē, Altria-nē?" Yuzu asked.

"It was better than I thought," Artoria said.

"Well, to me, it was good... Till everyone bombarded us with questions after questions, that is. It was really annoying," Altria said, scoffing.

"I can see why. Both of you are really beautiful. Many students would want to get to know you," Yuzu said.

"Well, enough of that. Let's begin eating dinner," Ichigo said, and started to eat their dinner.

After today's events, Ichigo chose to relax with his new family now, lounging downstairs and watching TV with the four girls.

* * *

 **The next day…**

"IIICH-"

Isshin was about to do his morning 'ritual', but held himself in check when he saw his son and his two new girlfriends were still sleeping peacefully. Like the father he's supposed to be, he simply grinned at the intertwining pile of limbs, creating a scandalous image where Ichigo was sandwiched between the two girls.

Isshin slowly closed the door as he thought back to last night _. 'Kisuke really was right when he said Ichigo knew about his heritage. I guess he will come to me to talk about it when he is ready,'_ He thought, before smiling slightly as he went down to the living room.

When the boy finally woke up, though, he shared his father's loving grin when he saw the suggestive position they're in. _'Just how do we always end up like this every morning?'_

"Do we really move that much when we sleep?" Ichigo asked, stating their situation.

"Well, it looks like we just can't keep our hands off you," Artoria teased, as she was still holding on to Ichigo.

"I don't see you two complaining," Altria said, as she pulled Ichigo's head a little closer to her chest.

"Well, I simply find this position strangely comfortable," Artoria said, as she snuggled close to Ichigo.

"I don't really have a problem with this, but I don't want my father to look at us like this," Ichigo stated, not knowing Isshin had already seen them earlier.

"Knowing him, he will say we are finally making him a grandfather. With lots of yelling," Altria said.

"Yes, I can imagine him saying that while dancing," Artoria said.

"Well, let's get ready. Let's leave earlier today; I want to interrogate Urahara about this Vizard stuff."

* * *

 **Urahara Shōten**

They soon reached to Urahara Shōten, where the shop owner was standing outside with his fan over his face. "Kurosaki-san… and the lovely ladies! What brings you three to my shop?" He asked in his usual childish tone.

"I think you already know that," Ichigo said.

"You sure have become quite sharp, Kurosaki-san. I know you want to ask about Shinji."

"So, who is he, and what are his and the other Vizards' background?" Altria asked.

"You already know they call themselves Vizard. They're a group of Shinigami who were banished by Soul Society at the same time as Yoruichi, Tessai, and I was a hundred years ago."

"What was the reason for that?" Artoria asked.

"Aizen, while doing his research, forced them to undergo a process known as Hollowification. To save them, we were forced to use a forbidden Kidō and escape out of Soul Society. Luckily, I was able to stabilize them. So, they remained a Shinigami in essence, but they now have Hollow powers. They hid their existence from Soul Society ever since then, fearing if the Shinigami found out about their hybrid status, they'll be hunted down. They have since learned how to use their Hollow powers from that time."

"What are the limits of their Hollow powers?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't know. You have to ask them. I believe they are able to fire a Cero, have enhanced power speed, and more endurance."

"Whose side are they on?" Artoria asked.

"That is hard to say… It's more like they are on their own side than anyone else. Oh, Shinji asked you three to come with him, right?" Urahara asked.

"Yes, he did last night," Ichigo replied.

"You can go with them. They won't try to harm any of you," Urahara said, hiding his face behind the fan.

Begrudgingly, they parted ways with the roundabout Urahara and left for school, already deciding they'd visit the Vizards' hideout later that afternoon.

* * *

 **Notes**

 **1) Saber's Casual outfit.**

 **2) Saber Alter's Shinjuku Outfit.**

 **3) Saber Lancer's Black Helmet.**

* * *

 ** _And the chapter is finished I don't really have anything to say this time._**

 ** _Next time: Shinigamis and_** **Arrancars**

 ** _See you in the next chapter_**


	5. Shinigamis and Arrancars

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _P.S.- The first three chapters have been updated after being checked by beta tester._**

 ** _Beta Tester:_** ** _ThunderReborn and_** ** _ekaterina016_**

* * *

 _"Whose side are they on?" Artoria asked._

 _"That is hard to say – it's more like they are on their own side, than anyone else's."_

 _"Shinji asked you three to come with him, right?" Urahara asked._

 _"Yes, he did last night," Ichigo replied._

 _"You can go with them. They won't try to harm any of you," Urahara said, hiding his face behind the fan._

 _Begrudgingly, they parted ways with the roundabout Urahara and left for school, already deciding they'd visit the Vizards' hideout later that afternoon._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 5:_** **_Shinigamis and_** ** _Arrancars_**

* * *

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria left Urahara Shōten, as it's time for school. It's the usual morning routine, where they greeted their friends in class, with Orihime arriving the latest, cheerful like usual, and waved.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" She greeted in her bubbly voice.

 _"Good morning Ichigo!"_ Shinji imitated her actions in an as irritating manner as possible, causing a few twitched to form on Ichigo's face.

 _"Is this guy really trying to hide from the Shinigamis?"_ Ichigo spoke through his mental link.

 _"I am surprised the Vizards haven't been caught yet,"_ Altria said.

 _"I agree. How can he casually walk around outside if all Vizards have warrants for their execution?"_ Artoria said.

"Good morning, umm... Shinji, right?" Orihime put her finger to her chin in thought, before greeting.

Shinji seemed to grin more. "Oh, wow, you remembered my name! You're great, Orihime-chan!" He was enthused enough to hug her, who was surprised at the sudden action.

"Hey! Who do you think you are!" Keigo jumped up from his desk, pointing at both of them. Shinji let go of Orihime, frowning at the new offender, who began to get nervous from the serious frown.

"Who in the hell are _you_?" Shinji asked the now-shivering Keigo.

"What do you mean who am I? You have a lot of nerve hanging out with everyone like you've known them forever! Get your hands off of her you pervert. She obviously doesn't like it!" Keigo accused Shinji.

"Well, if she didn't like it she would have yelled at me or hit me, but she hasn't done either of those, which means she's not uncomfortable!" Shinai pointed out. "Right, Orihime-chan?" He put his hand around Orihime's shoulder, who obviously looked otherwise.

"Don't worry," Chizuru yelled from behind Keigo. "Anyone who attacks my precious Orihime-chan shall be punished! This pervert won't leave here alive!" With a fiery aura behind her, she prepared her attack, but Ichigo slammed his hand on the table top and stood up with his girlfriends abruptly. The room dropped in temperature as everyone's attention shifted to them, as they walked towards the nervous-looking Shinji.

"I think we need to have a little _talk,_ Shinji _,"_ Ichigo said, grabbing him by the shoulder and began to drag him away, as Artoria opened the door for them. When the door closed behind the four, the temperature lifted back up and everyone felt fine.

"Wow, Ichigo has become a lot scarier in the last month… and those girls are also downright scary like him," Keigo said, which the rest of the class agreed to. Suddenly, they heard a loud 'smack' on the wall outside. Everyone cringed, knowing what was happening.

* * *

 **Karakura Highschool**

Ichigo slammed Shinji to the wall.

"Hey, that hurts! Why are you getting so worked up about?!" Shinji exclaimed.

"What are you still doing here?" Ichigo glared.

"I have to go to school, since I am just a student, like you," Shinji replied casually.

"What is the _real_ reason you are here?" Artoria asked.

"Well, I am here to keep an eye on Ichigo… if his Hollow goes out of control."

 _"That is actually a pretty good reason… I think we should just go to their place to clear up this misunderstanding,"_ Ichigo mentally said to the twins. "Well, if that is the real reason… then you can stay," He said, as he backed away from Shinji.

"We will meet with you and your _friends_ tomorrow," Artoria said.

"And remember… Don't try to pull anything weird… or else," Altria threatened.

"Of course! The three of you can come tomorrow!" Shinji said. "We won't try to attack you or do anything else to you guys. We're not stupid."

* * *

After school, the trio decided to go for a date at the park. When they stopped by an ice cream cart, Ichigo's pocket began to vibrate.

"It's another Hollow," Ichigo sighed, after his eyes widened momentarily.

"No, wait…! It's _two_ Hollows, and they feel similar to Grand Fisher, but significantly stronger," Altria warned.

* * *

 **Park Clearing**

"What the hell are you all staring at?! I'll suck out your souls!" Yammy yelled at the normal humans, though many of the surrounding humans were oblivious to the angry Hollow. They were inadvertently staring down at the crater he and his partner made, but Yammy sucked out all the souls of everyone there regardless. "Blegh! Disgusting!"

"Of course, how can such weak spirits taste good? And that was not even necessary; they couldn't see us," Ulquiorra told Yammy coldly.

"I don't care; they were pissing me off!" Yammy responded.

Off in the distance, Ulquiorra caught a small amount of movement. He looked over to see Tatsuki lying in the ground. "A survivor…?"

"W-What just happened…?" Tatsuki asked in a weak voice, barely able to move, as both of the Arrancars started walking towards her.

"It seems you have some decent Reiatsu, since you survived. Hey, Ulquiorra, is this the one?" Yammy asked.

"She is about to die just from you standing beside her. She is trash," he replied.

"So… she just got lucky." Yammy raised his leg back, ready to kill Tatsuki by kicking her. However, before it would hit her, Chad stepped in and blocked the attack.

"Who the hell are you two?" Yammy asked, stepping back a little.

 _'He is very strong; I could feel it. Orihime couldn't handle that,'_ Chad thought, touching his arm where he blocked the kick. "Listen, Orihime. Take Tatsuki and get out of here."

Orihime hesitated for a few moments, before nodding. "Just be careful!"

"Hey, Ulquiorra, is this the one?" Yammy asked.

"Yammy, you really need to work on your senses. You should be able to tell they are trash," Ulquiorra told him, as Chad jumped and tried to attack, but Yammy simply backhanded him, sending Chad flying.

"Chad!" Orihime yelled, as she went to him. "Sōten Kisshun!"

"Ulquiorra... Should we take her back to Aizen to show him this weird healing?" Yammy asked, taking note of the strange barrier enveloping the unconscious boy.

"That won't be necessary, Yammy. Just kill her," Ulquiorra said, disinterested.

"Gotcha," Yammy said, as he tried to punch her.

When Orihime was about to use Santen Kesshun, suddenly, Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria appeared in front of her. The boy raised his hand, catching Yammy's punch.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo...! If I was stronger, this wouldn't have happened…!" Orihime apologized.

"You don't need to apologize. You did nothing wrong. Besides, if you aren't strong enough now, then train to strong. " Ichigo said, as she started to feel better. "Orihime, make sure you stay back." He unsheathed Excalibur and Morgan, covered in Invisible Air, and pointed them at Yammy. "Artoria. Altria. Keep an eye on Orihime and Chad, OKay?"

 **"Are you sure you can take him on by yourself?"** Artoria asked.

"Yeah, I can handle him."

 **"Very well… then we will watch over these two,"** Altria said.

"Hey, Ulquiorra, is this the one?!" Yammy asked for the last time, as he freed his hand from Ichigo's grasp.

 _'He has the orange hair as Aizen-sama said, and he is also with two girls who have blond hair. But the target we're looking for also has two lances and golden armour as his bankai,'_ Ulquiorra thought analytically. "Force him to use his Bankai. I cannot say for sure until he does so," He instructed to Yammy.

Ichigo blocked another one of Yammy's punch with Invisible Morgan. "How did you do that?" The large Hollow asked, confused. Another try with his other arm also ended up being blocked by Invisible Excalibur.

"You are the one who did that to Chad, aren't you?" Ichigo asked.

"So what? Will you do something about it?" Yammy said, as Ichigo disappeared using shunpō, he reappearing behind Yammy and swung Invisible Excalibur at his right arm, slicing it off.

"ARGHH! MY ARM!" Yammy shouted out, as blood spurted from the wound.

Ulquiorra saw how Ichigo attacked Yammy and how he moved his hand. _'It appears he has an invisible sword,'_ he thought. _'No… **two** swords.'_

 _'His skin was really hard to cut. I had to use both Invisible Air and Reiatsu Burst to cut through,'_ Ichigo thought.

"You damn cockroach!" Yammy yelled at Ichigo, opening his mouth to fire a Cero at the boy, enveloping him in it. "That bastard got my arm!"

"You idiot, look closer! He is still alive," Ulquiorra said.

Yammy looked at the crater, expecting a splattered mess of gore, but a black barrier revealed itself in front of him. Ulquiorra noticed the boy's black scabbard was gone from the side of his waist.

"My turn," Ichigo said, as the barrier disappeared into tiny particles and reformed into Vortigern.

Pointing the invisible Excalibur and Morgan backward, he pushed himself forward using Invisible Air, Shunpō, and the temporary power boost from Vortigern, becoming so fast even Ulquiorra was barely able to see him. Ichigo flew past Yammy, striking at his neck, which cleanly fell onto the ground. His body followed after a second.

 _'Idiot, that's what he gets for underestimating his opponent! Even so, this boy was very fast. He bypassed my Pesquisa for just a moment and he didn't even release his Zanpakutōs. I can see why Aizen-sama is interested in him,'_ Ulquiorra thought as he took one hand out of his pocket.

"This mission is over," The gloomy man tapped the air in front of him, distorting and splitting open to reveal a Garganta.

"Are you running away?" Ichigo asked.

"The only reason we came here was to see what the limit of your power was. Aizen-sama would not be happy if I fought you with those two Shinigami hiding behind. Yammy may have been a fool, but I am not," Ulquiorra said, as Urahara and Yoruichi appeared in front of them. "I got what I came here for, and I'll let Aizen-sama know the Shinigami he's interested in has some potential in him."

With the enemy gone, Artoria and Altria returned to Ichigo's side. They could see Ichigo's eyes were covered by his hair, obscuring it from view, but the anger in them was apparent. Ichigo turned to face Urahara and Yoruichi, glaring at them with his cold glare.

"You two _knew_ they were coming," Ichigo said.

"I suspected Aizen will send them," Urahara admitted.

 **"And you didn't tell us anything! We were at your shop this morning!"** Altria yelled.

"Because of _your_ complacency, so many normal people died. If I didn't arrive here just in time, Orihime and Chad might have died as well," Ichigo growled. Urahara and Yoruichi looked down, ashamed of their inaction.

 **"I don't even want to think about what will happen to their families. Based on what I could see, many of the victims were young adults and little children,"** Artoria said, as she looked at the soulless bodies around her.

"I am so sorry this happened," Urahara said, as he bowed.

"I am sorry as well. I should have come faster," Yoruichi said, bowing as well.

"I think that is enough. Even if you two are sorry… these people won't come back to life," Ichigo said, as he began to walk away from them. He turned to them. "If you really are sorry, then make sure this never happens again."

* * *

 **Early Morning**

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria woke up early, after sleeping in last night and telling their family what happened in the park's commotion yesterday. They got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, which Yuzu and Karin brought out for them.

"How come none of you are wearing your uniform?" Yuzu asked, noticing the strange fact.

"We're not going to school today," Ichigo answered.

"YOU FOOLISH DELINQUENT SON! HOW DARE YOU SKIP SCHOOL AND MAKE MY THIRD AND FOURTH DAUGHTERS DO THE SAME!" Isshin yelled, trying to tackle the boy. But Altria stuck her leg out, tripping him and causing him to slam into the floor.

"We have to go somewhere today," Altria said.

"COULD IT BE?! YOU THREE ARE GOING TO MAKE CHRILDREN?! OH, MASAKI, WE ARE FINALLY GOING TO BECOME GRANDPARENTS!" Isshin yelled as he hugged the big poster.

As always, the other household members ignored him, had breakfast, and bade goodbye to each other customarily.

* * *

 **Urahara Shōten**

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria arrived to see Shinji standing there, leaning on one of the wooden beams. "Are you ready to go?" The young man asked with a smirk.

Receiving confirmation, they walked for about twenty minutes, filling the time by talking about how Ichigo and his party knew of the Vizards through Urahara. The trio behind Shinji was surprised when they arrived at their destination – a rundown warehouse – which was filled with multiple captain-level Reiatsu. Ichigo needed to steel himself at the perceived training he'd have gone through if he followed their ideas.

Shinji approached the door and placed his hand on it. "You should know my friends and I are not Shinigami anymore. We stopped the moment they kicked us out of Soul Society. _Do not_ ask us to fight alongside them."

"You need not to worry about it. I am also not a Shinigami. The only reason I desired this power is to keep what is precious to me safe. I have no ties with Shinigami and no reason to help them," Ichigo said.

Satisfied with the response, Shinji slid the door open, revealing to Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria seven other people doing various things in the warehouse.

Shinji quickly introduced them: Hachigen 'Hachi' Ushōda, Lisa Yadōmaru, Rōjurō 'Rose' Ōtoribashi, Love Aikawa, Kensei Muguruma, Mashiro Kuna, and Hiyori Sarugaki. "Everyone, come over here!" He yelled. All the Vizards stopped what they were doing and walked over to them. "This is Ichigo Kurosaki, and the girls are his Zanpakuto spirits."

"So, Shinji... How will I do this training?" Ichigo asked.

"The first thing is you need to let your Hollow take control of your body. This allows us to see how strong your Hollow is. The second step is for us to see how much Reiatsu and Reiryoku you have. The third step is your need to fight your Hollow in your Mindscape. You need to defeat it in order to use its powers."

"What if I lose?"

"Then you become a full Hollow, and we kill you." Ichigo nodded his head at the outright answer. "Once you defeat your Hollow we begin endurance training on the mask usage."

"That's it?" Ichigo inquired.

"In a few words, yes," Shinji admitted.

"Well, I can already use it well," he claimed.

"EEEEEEEEEH?!" Everyone cried, startled.

"Prove it!" Kensei demanded, an angry expression on his face.

He smoothly ejected his and his girlfriends' spiritual form, and swiped the Hollow Reiatsu across his face in one movement to summon his mask. **_"Satisfied?"_** He asked.

"How can you summon the mask without your Hollow getting out of control?" Shinji asked.

"Have you already subjugated your Hollow?" Kensei asked.

"I believe my Hollow is different from the rest of yours," Ichigo said, as he took off the mask.

"How is it different, dumbass?!" Hiyori asked.

"Well, because I was born with it. Both of my Zanpakutōs represent a difference side of my powers," Ichigo started.

 **"I represent Ichigo's Shinigami powers,"** Artoria said.

 **"While I represent Ichigo's Hollow powers,"** Altria said.

The Vizards were shocked by the news. "How were you born with it?" Shinji questioned.

"Well, _that_ I don't know," Ichigo said.

"So… she doesn't try to take control?" Shinji asked.

 **"Of course. Why would I need to take over Ichigo's body when I have my own body to move around?"** Altria said.

"Is she really a Hollow?" Mashiro asked.

"Yeah. It's hard to believe she is a Hollow. She acts… like she's human," Kensei said.

 **"Ichigo did tell you his Hollow is different from yours, no?"** Artoria said.

"Well, then if she is also your Zanpakutō, then why don't you ask her for training?" Shinji asked.

 **"I've tried to teach him how to use his Hollow powers, but he struggled to use them. We decided to see if Ichigo training with similar people could help him learn faster."** The Vizards nodded in understanding Altria's logic. " **And I can't just tell him _everything_. He has to learn on his own," **Altria said.

 **"You learn different things from a teacher and a fellow fighter,"** Artoria said.

"So, will you train me?" Ichigo asked.

"Welcome to the Vizard," Shinji said immediately, grinning.

"So, how long can you hold onto your mask?" Hiyori asked seriously.

"Not for very long," Ichigo said, and sighed.

"Still… how long?" Kensei asked.

"Only for nine seconds."

"Well, that's about average, I guess… except for Mashiro. She could hold hers for fifteen hours straight on her first try," Rose said.

"So it was the same for you?" Ichigo said. "How does this mask endurance training work?"

"We have you repeatedly summon your mask while fighting you. This forces your body to get used to wielding so much power," Rose explained.

"The mask endurance training lasts until you can hold it for at least an hour," Shinji directed. "After that, it'll only get better through experience."

"Very well, then… let's begin," Ichigo said.

"Okay," Shinji said, as he went to the middle of the room, pressing his hand on the ground. After a second, a secret panel opened up. Ichigo and his Zanpakuto spirits could see stairs going down. "Follow me," Shinji said, leading them to a space similar to the one in Urahara Shōten.

 **"It seems Urahara has constructed a good training ground for you** ," Artoria said.

"Yeah. After we saw the one he has in his shop, we asked him to make us one for ourselves," Shinji said with his usual grin.

"This is a perfect place for us to train, since our Hollow powers will easily destroy the warehouse," Kensei said.

"Let's begin your training now," Shinji said, as Ichigo nodded.

"I will go first, since I am on duty today," Lisa said. The other Vizards nodded as they walked to the side-lines, as she drew out her sword.

Training ensued, where only Ichigo and his opponent stood in the middle of the space, with both Altria and Artoria watching from the sidelines. Hachi was responsible for the stopwatch of the boy's mask's duration, as his combat ability differed from the rest, but the other Vizards kept rotating until Ichigo couldn't stay conscious any longer.

 **Four Hours later.**

Ichigo was completely exhausted. He'd spent the entire time, in the mask endurance training. He'd only managed to extend the time to thirty-eight minutes. Still, it was far more than what he'd was before. Right now, he was fighting Hiyori.

 **"Come on baldie, hold the mask longer!"** Hiyori yelled as Ichigo was summoning his mask again.

 **"** I am trying. **This takes a lot of reiatsu!"** Ichigo said. After a few more seconds Ichigo got close to her and was about to slash her but his mask broke again. Ichigo fell onto his knee. Artoria looked at Hachi; silently asking him the time.

"Forty-two." Hachi said.

 **"He has managed to raise it five minutes more."** Artoria said.

 **"But it is still only forty-two."** Altria repeated who was still watching Ichigo as she narrowed her eyes.

"Well he is doing way better then what we were able to do." Shinji said.

"He is right it took us months to keep our mask for that long." Rose said.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo: Las Noches**

Ulquiorra walked down the empty hallway, soon arriving at a closed door. Behind it was a large table, occupied by ten people, who were naturally headed by Aizen. Gin and Kaname stood sharply behind him.

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra," Aizen greeted. "It seems that Yammy isn't here with you…?" Many of the Hollows at the table paid attention to Ulquiorra. "So, tell me what did you found out?"

"See for yourselves and find out what happened," Ulquiorra gouged out his right eye, before crushing it into Reiatsu particles, and forming into a holographic screen. Everyone in the room could see what happened in Karakura Town, sitting there, silently watching Ichigo kill Yammy.

"I understand. So, you decided Ichigo had potential, but didn't engage in a fight, because I did not order so?" Aizen calmly said.

"Yes. Your orders were to see what he can do, and not to kill him."

"You're way too soft, Ulquiorra!" Someone shouted out from the side. Ulquiorra turned his head to see a tall, muscular man with light blue spiky hair and light blue eyes, dressed in a white hakama, a black sash and a ragged white jacket with an upturned collar. The inner lining of his jacket is black and with the sleeves rolled up and left open; revealing his muscular chest. The remains of his Hollow mask consist of the right jawbone. "If I was there, I would have killed them all! Yammy was a big idiot who got himself killed!"

"Grimmjow. I don't think you understand. Aizen-sama is not worried about his power… _now_. It is the potential and growth rate the boy possesses. He could still prove useful to us in the future," Ulquiorra explained to him, who scoffed back at him.

"You still should have killed him," Grimmjow growled out.

"Well, I will leave it in your hands, Ulquiorra," Aizen said.

Grimmjow smirked darkly as he got an idea.

* * *

 **Soul Society: First Division Meeting Room**

All the captains stood confused, having been summoned so quickly after the previous meeting. When the Captain-Commander arrived, he declared with a booming voice, "Yesterday afternoon, two Arrancars were detected in Karakura Town."

"Maa, Yama-jii… Why are you worried? We have faced Arrancars many times before," Kyoraku Shunsui, captain of the Eighth Division said.

"It is because these Arrancar are different compared to the ones we know," Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of the Twelfth Division, said. "The Arrancars we have seen before weren't complete… or rather, they haven't become _complete_ Arrancars. My scanners showed those who attacked Karakura Town yesterday were more complete and far more powerful than the ones we've encountered before!" He grinned wider. "Ooh, I can't wait to get my hands on one of them! There are so many experiments I want to do…!"

"It seems you will have the opportunity to get your hands on many of them," Tōshirō Hitsugaya, captain of the Tenth Division, said coolly. "It's reasonable to believe these Arrancars were created by Aizen using the Hōgyoku. He is probably going to build an army."

"Captain Hitsugaya is right," Jūshirō Ukitake, captain of the Thirteenth Division stated. "Aizen has a long time to study and create his own Arrancars. It a miracle that Substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki was able to kill one of them and push back the other one."

"He also did that without releasing his Zanpakutōs!" Kenpachi Zaraki said with a bloodthirsty grin. "Ichigo's getting even stronger! I can't wait to fight him again!"

"We didn't expect Aizen to attack so soon. We must send reinforcements to the human world to help Substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I propose Abarai Renji, my lieutenant, and Rukia Kuchiki, lieutenant of Thirteenth Division," Byakuya Kuchiki said. "There are one of the few Shinigami who knows Substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki and his allies the best. Further, Renji has recently achieved Bankai."

"Very good!" Shunsui said. "He seems to be exactly what we need. Why don't we test him to see if he can fill one of the vacant Captain spots?"

Byakuya shook his head. "Not right now. He is not ready for the responsibilities of Captain, and he had just recently acquired his Bankai. It's far from being mastered."

"Very well, then; inform Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki they are some of the Shinigamis who will be sent to support Substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki." Byakuya and Ukitake nodded. "We will also have Captain Hitsugaya go as well. You will be the leader of the support team."

"Yes, Captain-Commander," Tōshirō said.

"You are also to take back his Substitute Shinigami Badge," Captain-Commander ordered.

A few Captain's eyes widened in shock. "Why is that, Captain-Commander?" Tōshirō asked. All the Captains present were aware of the purpose of the Substitute Shinigami Badge.

"I received orders from the Zero Squad," Captain-Commander said, shocking all the captains even more. "We are ordered to stop all attempts to monitor Ichigo Kurosaki. We are to switch the Substitute Shinigami Badge with another one which doesn't have a tracker. The last order is… we must protect him from all dangers."

"Did Zero Squad explain their orders?" Byakuya asked.

The Captain-Commander shook his head.

"What about the Central Forty-Six?" Ukitake asked.

"You forgot that any order from Zero Squad are above any order or law from Central Forty-Six."

"What should I say when Ichigo asks me about the badge?" Tōshirō asked.

"Inform him there was an issue with the badge and that it needs to be replaced," Captain-Commander informed. "Any other questions?" None of the Captain replied. "This Emergency Captain meeting is dismissed!"

* * *

Over the last few days, the people around Ichigo noticed the tiredness he exhibited lately, but in contrast to that, his aura's increasing sharpness and weight as well. Obviously, those familiar with the spiritual world, such as Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin noticed this change the best, causing some awkwardness to develop between them and Ichigo's group due to this new power.

The boy's schoolmates reacted differently. Uryū just bluntly asked what he's been doing, while Chad and Orihime looked on worriedly. Tatsuki, Keigo, and Chizuru teased them about the 'things' they might've been doing, but were summarily (and violently) dismissed by the twins.

* * *

 **Soul Society**

Tōshirō Hitsugaya stood in front of the Senkaimon, waiting for the rest of his team to show up, irritated. _'What's taking them so long?'_.

Soon, the rest of his team arrived. Other than Rukia and Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Rangiku were also appointed the duty. When the short captain yelled at their tardiness, they excused themselves by pointing out how fussy the Twelfth Division was with their gear.

When the Senkaimon appeared outside Karakura Town, Tōshirō asked, "Rukia, do you know where Ichigo's house is?"

Rukia nodded, leading them to the Kurosaki Clinic… but they're stumped when they arrived there, since Ichigo was sleeping in the middle of the bed while hugging Artoria, and Altria had wrapped her arms on his back and legs around his waist.

"It seems they are a little _busy_ ," Renji joked.

"I will wake them up," Rukia carefully opened the window and slipped inside the room, stopping in front of them. "WAKE UP, YOU THREE!"

Before Rukia could react, Artoria and Altria immediately tackled Rukia to the ground, _hard_. The former had her arm pressed on top of Rukia's neck while the latter had Morgan's sealed blade pointed at her.

"W-What's this for?!" Rukia asked.

"What do you expect to happen when someone sneaks into your own room and acts like that?" Ichigo said, as he crossed his arms, yawning.

"You are lucky we were in our gigais right now. You would have been in million little pieces!" Altria hissed.

Ichigo sighed as he noticed the other Shinigami standing outside his window. "Can you tell us what you're all doing here?" He asked, motioning for them to enter his room.

"Due to the appearance of those Arrancars two days ago, the Captain-Commander stationed us here to assist you," Renji explained.

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria got off Rukia and sat on the bed. "Tell us more of these Arrancars," The blue-dressed girl asked.

"According to the research we have, Arrancars are Hollows who have removed their Hollow mask. This results in them gaining Shinigami powers. We've encountered a few of them before, though nothing compared to the ones whom you encountered two days ago. These ones are significantly stronger than before. We believe Aizen is using the Hōgyoku to create these stronger Arrancars," Tōshirō explained.

"So… who are these people?" Ichigo asked.

"You forgot about me!?" The bald Shinigami shouted. "I'm Ikkaku! We fought when you first entered Soul Society!"

"Oh… OK," Ichigo replied.

"Anyways," The other man said. "I'm Yumichika Ayasegawa."

"And I'm Rangiku Matsumoto!" Rangiku said, as her breasts jiggled.

"I'm Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya," Tōshirō said.

"What were the requirements to join this team? Besides the captain here, none of you are strong enough," Altria glared at them.

"Rukia was chosen because she knows you best," Renji said, as he looked at his raven-haired friend.

"Not true! I was chosen for my _ability_ ," Rukia argued, puffing out her meagre chest.

Renji ignored Rukia's comment and continued. "I was selected because I had achieved Bankai."

"Then he asked me if I wanted to join this team," Ikkaku interrupted.

"Wherever Ikkaku goes, I go as well," Yumichika said.

"The Captain-Commander asked me to lead this team," Tōshirō said. "I dragged my lieutenant along to make sure she does her paperwork instead of going shopping," the little boy added as he glared at his lieutenant.

"CAPTAIN!" Rangiku shouted, both embarrassed and angry.

"Anyways… We don't know why Aizen sent those Arrancars after you, but it's likely nothing good," Tōshirō said, as he ignored his depressed lieutenant. "We need to worry about what kind of Hollow Aizen is using to make his Arrancars."

"Like Menos?"

"Yes. As you know we have the standard Hollow, the one which were just a single corrupted soul. But then we have Menos, which are a different kind. They have the desire/need to eat other souls. Those Menos are broken into three subtypes: Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde," Tōshirō explained.

"The first subtype, 'Gillian', are very large but not dangerous; very weak. You could compare them to regular foot soldiers. The large Hollow you and Uryū fought was a Gillian," Rukia said.

"The next subtype are the Adjuchas. They are formed when a Gillian has devoured enough souls to evolve. They are much smaller than a Gillian, but what they lost in size, they compensated in concentrated strength and intelligence. Many Gillians are led by a single Adjuchas," Tōshirō said, as Ichigo handed him a bottle of water. He nodded as he took a short break and drank the water.

"The last subtype is the Vasto Lorde. They are the strongest and most dangerous type of Menos. From what we gathered about them, they have the potential to be as strong as a Captain. They appear humanoid in shape and very cunning. To be honest, if Aizen has more than ten Vasto Lorde-class Arrancars, Soul Society would be doomed," He finished.

"How long will you all stay here?" Ichigo asked.

"Until the Arrancar threat is over," Renji answered.

"I assume you people have found a place to stay."

"Well, it's _here_!" Rangiku replied as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Did you not notice this is a two-floor house? There's isn't even enough room for us," Artoria said.

"Where do you think he will find a space for you all?" Altria said.

Rangiku blinked. She reached up to move her Shihakushō, slowly revealing more and more of her breasts. Suddenly, a small gust of wind shot past the Shinigami. They turned to see a tree from a neighbouring house lost a large branch, caused by Artoria and Altria, who're glaring at them.

"I suggest you should stop what you were doing," Artoria said seriously.

"Unless you want to be cut in million small pieces like that tree branch," Altria said frighteningly.

Both emanated a similar level of pressure to Zaraki Kenpachi, with his bloodlust-filled smile. Rangiku relented, quickly fixing her Shihakushō, completely covering her breasts from view.

Tōshirō sighed at his lieutenant's predictable antics. "We recognize there's a… _contact_ for Shinigamis in this town. Do you know of a man named Urahara? We've organized a place with him."

Ichigo, with a mildly surprised expression, nodded. "Yeah, we've met him… Have fun."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The white-haired boy sharply asked.

The Substitute Shinigami shrugged. "He's… _eccentric_."

"Anyways," Rukia started. "I'm staying right here in your closet like we used to," she stated firmly, crossing her arms and doing her best to look stern.

"That is not possible. The closet is now filled with Artoria and Altria's clothes and other stuff," Ichigo said.

Rukia looked like she was about to say something. "Y-You threw away m-my bed…?!"

"Ah, right… Ichigo, give me back your Substitute Shinigami Badge," Tōshirō said, changing the topic.

"Why?" Ichigo asked. He was a little suspicious they may have figured out the badge has been tampered with.

"We discovered the Substitute Shinigami Badge we gave you had a broken component," Tōshirō said, as he pulled out another copy of the Substitute Shinigami Badge from his Shihakushō.

"Oh. okay then," Ichigo said, exchanging badges. _"We need to go to Urahara for him to look at this."_

 _"Agreed,"_ Artoria and Altria replied. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. All the Shinigami swiftly left the room.

"Dinner is ready, Onii-chan, Artoria-nē, Altria-nē!" Yuzu said.

"Thank you, Yuzu," Artoria said.

"Let's go then," Ichigo said, they went down for the dinner.

* * *

In the middle of the black sky, a rip in the dimension opened up.

"Is everyone ready?" Grimmjow asked, appearing from within it, to the five people behind him. They all nodded. "Use your Pesquisa."

A small transparent wave of spirit energy shot out throughout the town, as it located anyone with a strong amount of spirit energy.

 _'As I thought, Soul Society sent reinforcements. This wouldn't have happened if Ulquiorra had done his job correctly,'_ Grimmjow snarled at the thought. "Kill anyone who has even slightest amount of Reiatsu," he ordered.

The six of them split up. Nevertheless, their presence was instantly detected by the trio in the Kurosaki household.

"It looks like Aizen sent more Arrancars," Ichigo said. His new badge began beeping, and before he could turn it off, Rukia was already outside of Ichigo's window.

"Do you feel that?" Artoria asked.

"Yes, I did," She grimly said, looking at the screen of her soul pager. "There are six of them! They're going after anyone who has Reiatsu!" Rukia informed.

"Both of you… stay here and keep an eye on Oyaji, Yuzu and Karin," Ichigo ordered.

 **"Are you sure?"** Artoria asked.

 **"She is right; one of us should come with you!"** Altria said.

Ichigo shook his head. "Stay here. We don't know how powerful this group is compared to the ones at the park. They might try and attack here due to our gathered Reiatsu." Turning to Rukia, he addressed, "They're here for me. Just tell the others to guard areas of rich Reiatsu; Captain Hitsugaya and I will face them."

The three girls nodded and went their separate ways.

The boy then went to the park where it all began two days ago, flaring his Reiatsu as bait, mimicking the tool Uryū used in the past. Predictably, large amounts of Hollow Reiatsu flew towards him, led by a blue-haired Arrancar.

"So, you are the one who killed Yammy?"

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, the Sexta Espada!" Grimmjow introduced himself.

 _'I can sense Rangiku is with Orihime, Rukia and Renji are with Chad and Uryū. Artoria and Altria are still in the house,'_ Ichigo thought. This put a part of his mind at ease. He could focus on his fight now. _'Tōshirō's still a bit too far away…'_

"Use your Bankai, Shinigami. You will need it against me," Grimmjow said arrogantly.

"Why don't you make me?" Ichigo said, while unsheathing his Zanpakutos, making sure they were covered Invisible Air. "Your friend certainly didn't deserve it…"

"Fine, then. Don't say I didn't give you the chance!" Grimmjow said, as he disappeared to punch the boy in the back, which was blocked with Excalibur. "This is what you did with Yammy as well?"

Ichigo turned around and struck Grimmjow's chest, and was surprised when his chest wasn't harmed in the slightest by Ichigo's attack.

"That was my Hierro. You can't cut it with such a weak attack like that," Grimmjow said, laughing.

"Is that so?" Ichigo said, as he used Invisible Air to increase his attack power and began to bombard Grimmjow with slashes. They worked, as small cuts began to form around him.

"Ulquiorra didn't mention anything about this move…!" He said, gritting his teeth with a scary grin on his face.

"You are quite a lot stronger than that 'Yammy'," Ichigo said. _'I have to use my Shikai to defeat him.'_

"He was the Diez Espada; a weakling! While I am _Sexta_ Espada!" He said.

"I assume that Espada is a special group of Arrancars and the numbers is the sign of strength," Ichigo guessed.

"You are right! The Espada are the strongest Arrancars, and I am the sixth strongest!"

"Well, then I can't hold back against you, can I?" Ichigo taunted with a small smile.

"Unless you want to die, that is," Grimmjow replied as he narrowed his eyes. "Why are you are still hiding your swords like a coward?"

"I am just using all the abilities I have at my disposal, that's all," Ichigo replied.

Grimmjow scoffed and unsheathed his Zanpakuto as he vanished and appeared in front of Ichigo, and tried to cut him in two, before Ichigo blocked him with his Zanpakutos. "Those invisible swords of yours are _really_ annoying me now!"

"You should not be so close to me."

"Why is that?"

"Because of _this_ ," Ichigo said, smirking. "Reiatsu Burst!"

Grimmjow was blasted by a golden and black Reiatsu, crashing into the edge of the crater.

 _'Hmm… Rangiku and Renji's Reiatsu just spiked just now… And someone's intercepting Tōshirō?'_ Ichigo thought, waiting for the dust to clear, revealing Grimmjow with two big bloody gashes on his chest.

"I-I W-WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!" Grimmjow yelled.

"Right now, you're the one who looks like they're about to die. But if you want, you're welcome to try," Ichigo teased.

"That's it!" Grimmjow yelled as he pointed his Zanpakutō at Ichigo. "GRIND, PANTERA!"

Teal Reiatsu exploded around him. Ichigo raised his arm to block the incoming dust and Reiatsu. When he put his arms down, he observed the changes occurring on the Arrancar's body. His body had grown even slimmer and lither, and now bore a white form-fitting type of armor. Grimmjow's mask fragment had also changed – no longer on his jaw, but now appearing as a sort of crown. The Arrancar had also grown a thin, whip-like tail, and his forearms had grown wickedly curved blades, reaching up towards his shoulders. His wounds were gone, too.

 _'So, their wound heals when they release their Zanpakutō?'_

Grimmjow's speed clearly increased, as Ichigo hurriedly raised his swords to block the Espada's claws. He disappeared, racing around the boy's back, forcing him to dodge, before blocking another strike.

"Come on Shinigami! You're Shikai isn't enough to stop me in my Resurrección!" Grimmjow yelled.

 _'I agree!'_

 **"The breath of the planet gathers. The torrent of life shines,"** Ichigo began to chant. Golden Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's left side. **"Hammer of the Vile King. Overturn the aurora. Swallow the light!"** Black Reiatsu began to gather on Ichigo's right side. **"Swords of Starlight, thou shalt obliterate! EXCALIBUR MORGAN!"** Ichigo yelled.

When the black and golden Reiatsu simmered down, Grimmjow's eyes widened at the beauty of his Zanpakutōs, their respective scabbards and Ichigo's dramatic increase in Reiatsu. Suddenly, Ichigo appeared in front of Grimmjow and slashed his chest. He stepped back, clutching his chest, as blood began to drip out of his wound

 _'That was way too fast! I didn't even sense him,'_ Grimmjow thought as he tried to heal the wound. "What was that just now? It wasn't shunpō or sonído."

"You don't need to know," Ichigo said, as he vanished again. Grimmjow turned around, trying to spot him, but it's too late: he's already behind. "Reiatsu Burst," Ichigo said, stabbing Grimmjow in the back before firing his attack.

"GAHHH!" Grimmjow yelled as he flew out of the crater from Ichigo's attack, crashing through a few trees, with two new fist-sized holes on top of the slashes from earlier.

"J-J-Just w-what are you?" Grimmjow asked.

"Someone who will end you," Ichigo said, as he charged in kill Grimmjow.

Suddenly, someone appeared in front of Grimmjow. He was tall, thin, black man, dressed similarly to the Arrancar uniform, and he wore a translucent silver visor over his pupil-less eyes. He had brown hair which was fallen down and behind him. Ichigo recognized who was in front of him.

"What are you doing here, Tōsen Kaname?!" Ichigo demanded.

"I came here to bring him back for his punishment," Tōsen replied.

"Punishment?"

"He invaded the World of the Living without Aizen-sama's permission, took five Arrancar with him, and got them killed. Aizen-sama is really furious. He wanted me to bring him back to serve his punishment," Tōsen paused as he glanced at Grimmjow. "But it seems it is not necessary," He added, picking him up.

A garganta opened up, but as Tōsen tried to walk in, Ichigo fired a blast of black Reiatsu at him, forcing the former captain to dodge the attack.

"Now, where do you think you are going?" Ichigo questioned.

"I'm returning to Hueco Mundo," Tōsen stated.

"So… your Arrancars come here and attack me and my friends. But, as soon as they lost, you tried to leave…?!" Ichigo asked curiously. "I never would have guessed Aizen's comrade was such a… _coward_."

"My order was to bring Grimmjow back for his punishment. Aizen-sama didn't order me to fight anyone here," Tōsen replied, not taking the bait, as he shunpō'ed into the Garganta, which closed before Ichigo could move.

The others arrived to the scene, only for it to be empty except for Ichigo's sharp stare.

"Did you win?" Renji asked.

"I believe I did, in a way," Ichigo said, noting the others looked a little roughed up.

"What do you mean by that?" Uryū asked.

"While I did defeat the Arrancar. I was unable to kill him before Tōsen interrupted our match and rescued him. Though he may not like what awaits him when he returned to Hueco Mundo…"

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked.

"It appears… this attack wasn't planned."

* * *

 **Orihime's Apartment**

Ichigo, Rukia, Renji and Uryū arrived at Orihime's apartment, just to see Artoria and Altria did at the same time, as the injured were all brought here to be treated. Ikkaku was laying on his back, surrounded by Orihime's Sōten Kisshun, while Tōshirō was sitting down with bandages around his chest. Yumichika and Rangiku looked fine.

"It seems you were the one who was more injured compared to the rest," Ichigo said to Tōshirō.

"The Arrancars were quite powerful. It took some time before we were authorized to remove our Gentei Kaijo," The boy replied, clearly not appreciating the tease.

 **"So, what have you learned about them, Ichigo?"** Artoria asked, hurrying the tempo of the conversation. Time was precious, after all.

"The first thing is that you are correct. Aizen is creating an army of Arrancars." Everyone paid close attention to Ichigo. "Aizen's got a special group of them, known as the 'Espada', the ten strongest Arrancars. This group has a descending numbering scale –the lower the number, the stronger they are."

"I see," Tōshirō said.

"Anyways, this attack wasn't one planned by Aizen. The Arrancar I fought was acting on his own and led his own men here. Aizen ordered Tōsen to retrieve him."

"So, who did you fight?" Uyru asked.

"I fought an Arrancar name Shawlong Koufang. He said, he is the 11th Arrancar in Sōsuke Aizen's army," Tōshirō said.

"I fought the 13th Arrancar. His name was Edrad Liones," Ikkaku said, sitting up with a grunt.

"I fought Nakeem Grindina, the 14th Arrancar," Rangiku said.

"Damn! I only fought the 15th Arrancar, Vylfordt Granz. Still can't believe I struggled!" Renji admitted.

"I fought an Arrancar named D-Roy, the 16th Arrancar."

"I fought their leader. His name was Grimmjow and he was the 6th Espada." Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at him. "I had to use my Zanpakutōs' full power, and only then I was able to cut him a little. He said his Hierro protected him."

"What's 'Hierro'?" Rangiku asked.

"It's literally 'Iron Skin'; a defensive Hollow ability which hardens their skin," Tōshirō explained.

 _"I can learn that right?"_ Ichigo asked.

 ** _"You could,"_** Altria replied.

"It is not surprising you weren't able to face him with your Shikai and had to use your Bankai to kill him," Tōshirō continued, though Ichigo's sudden silence confused him. "What?"

"You are mistaken," Ichigo said.

"About what?"

"When I said my Zanpakutōs' 'full power', I was referring to their Shikai."

"S-So y-you are saying you nearly killed the sixth strongest espada with only your Shikai?!" Rukia asked.

"Captain Hitsugaya and I had to use our Bankai against our opponent in order to win…! While you defeated the sixth strongest Espada with only your Shikai!" Renji yelled.

"How is my fault if you are not strong enough?" He asked.

Tōshirō narrowed his green eyes. _'Is it because of how powerful he is that Squad Zero wants us to protect him? Does he even need our protection?'_

"You should also know the Arrancar I killed the other day was also an Espada," Ichigo added.

"Which number was he?" Tōshirō asked.

"He was number ten, the weakest Espada," He said, sighing.

 **"Well, at least there are at least one less Espada,"** Altria said.

"She is right. Even if he was the weakest, you did a very good job," Tōshirō complimented.

"If that's all, we should go home and get some rest," Ichigo suggested.

Tōshirō nodded his head. "We all need our strength, so we should get as much as rest as we can."

"Well then let's meet later." Ichigo said as they started to leave. After some minutes Ichigo his girlfriends reached home. They snuck back to their room and entered their own bodies fell asleep.

* * *

 ** _Urgent looking for Beta Tester PM me if you are interested._**

 ** _Next time: Kidnap and Rescue_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	6. Kidnap and Rescue

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester:_** ** _ThunderReborn and_** ** _ekaterina016_**

* * *

 **Recap:** _Y-You are saying you nearly killed the sixth strongest Espada with only your Shikai?!" Rukia asked._

 _"Captain Hitsugaya and I had to use our Bankai against our opponent in order to win… while you defeated the sixth strongest Espada with only your Shikai?!" Renji yelled._

 _"How is that **my** fault if you are not strong enough?" He asked._

 _Tōshirō narrowed his green eyes._ 'Is it because of how powerful he is that Squad Zero wants us to protect him…?'

 _"You should also know the Arrancar I killed the other day was also an Espada," Ichigo added._

 _"Which number was he?" Tōshirō asked._

 _"He was number ten, the weakest Espada," he said, sighing._

 ** _"Well, at least there are two less Espada now,"_** _Altria said._

 _"She is right. Even if he was the weakest, you did a very good job," Tōshirō said._

 _"If that's all, we should go home and get some rest," Ichigo suggested, which Tōshirō nodded his head to._

 _"If that's all, we should go home and get some rest." Ichigo suggested. Tōshirō nodded his head._

 _"We all need our strength, so we should get as much as rest as we can." Tōshirō said._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 6:_** **_Kidnap and Rescue_**

* * *

Kaname Tōsen walked with a healed Grimmjow back to the meeting room, knocking on the main door.

"Come in."

They pushed open the door and walked inside. Aizen sat in his chair as he stared at them, saying calmly, "Kaname... I see you have brought back Grimmjow."

"Yes, Aizen-sama. I brought him back just in time before Ichigo Kurosaki could finish him," Kaname elaborated, as Grimmjow gritted his teeth at the reminder of his defeat.

"You're saying Ichigo Kurosaki was able to defeat him?" Aizen asked with a small smile.

"Yes. From what I could tell, Ichigo Kurosaki was completely unharmed, only releasing his Shikai when I arrived."

"It seems he has quickly grown stronger," Aizen said, smirking.

"Indeed, for a human who has recently become a Shinigami," The blind man bitterly said.

"Grimmjow, you invaded Karakura Town without my permission. Can you tell me why did you do that?"

Grimmjow knew if he lied to Aizen, he would kill him. "I wanted to fight that human. I wanted to see if what Ulquiorra saw was right about that human's power."

"And what did you find out?"

"Ulquiorra was right, Aizen-sama."

"What about your Fraccións?"

"My Fraccións are dead," Grimmjow said emotionlessly. "The town had other Shinigamis posted there. They were all killed while I was fighting that human."

 _'They must have sent at least one Captain,'_ Aizen thought. "Kaname said Ichigo Kurosaki nearly killed you without using his Bankai. Were you in your Resurreccion form?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama," Oh, how Grimmjow hated saying that bastard's name. ' _One day…'_ he swore, ' _I'll rip your still-beating heart from your chest and say, "Enjoy your stay in hell, Aizen-sama!"'_

"You can go back now, Grimmjow."

"Thank you, Aizen-sama," Grimmjow got up to leave, a scowl upon his face.

"Aizen-sama!" Tōsen protested. "He went against your direct orders! He should've been punished!"

"I feel Grimmjow was merely overexcited in his loyalty to me; by attempting to take out all potential threats to my authority," Aizen demurred as Grimmjow left, the doors shut behind him. He continued once they were alone, "Besides, he has developed a one-sided rivalry against Kurosaki Ichigo now. Grimmjow's pride will not allow him to live with that defeat. He will stride to grow stronger to defeat Ichigo." Tōsen nodded in understanding. "He will _never_ be powerful enough to kill me, but he can certainly occupy and injure a Shinigami Captain."

Tōsen nodded, frowning, but deferring to his master's judgment. "Should we not attack Kurosaki, then? He can only grow stronger."

"Perhaps…" Aizen thought, before deciding, "No, while we have a large and powerful army at our disposal, the potential casualties will be too high. An attack like that could potentially kill many of the souls we need to make an Ōken. As soon as the Shinigami stationed at Karakura Town detect us, they would alert the Gotei 13. They would send all the Captains to interfere, potentially jeopardizing our plans."

"I see... I apologize for doubting you," Tōsen said, bowing reverently.

"I understand your concern, Kaname, but don't worry, my friend. Time is on our side."

"What about the dead Arrancars."

"We can take Adjuchas from Hueco Mundo and create more Arrancar for our army, replacing the weaklings with stronger soldiers quickly."

* * *

 **Urahara Shōten**

Having had breakfast the day after the battle, Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria visited Urahara Shōten. The first thing they saw was Ururu sweeping the ground and Jinta helping Tessai carry some boxes, and they could sense Renji, Chad, and Rukia training inside the underground training room.

"Kurosaki-san! How can I help you?" Tessai asked.

"Is Urahara inside?" Ichigo asked.

"He is in the living room."

"Thank you."

They went inside and saw him sitting down and drinking tea.

"Kurosaki-san and his beautiful ladies! What brings you three to my humble store this time?" Urahara asked in his usual childish tone. Artoria quietly passed him a piece of paper, which he briefly scanned and looked up to Ichigo, signalling with a nod. The boy silently handed him the new badge, which Urahara took to a different room.

"Do you two think they figured out the previous badge has been tampered with?" Ichigo asked his girlfriends.

"Hmm… That's a define possibility," Altria said.

"I don't think that is the case," Artoria muttered. "Despite how Urahara acts, he is still a genius. I don't think he'd leave any evidence of his actions."

"Good point… but is there any other reason why they took the old badge away?"

Urahara slid open the door and re-entered the room, placing the badge on the table and sat down. "From what I can tell, this badge doesn't have any surprises inside. It has the same functions as the modified badge," He stated, surprising them.

"Nothing at all? Really?" Ichigo said sceptically.

"I think the Shinigami trusted you after you killed that Arrancar at the park and defeated that Espada," Altria said.

"I don't think the Gotei 13 would do that," Urahara added. "Unless they've _really_ gotten soft over the years."

"Then, do you have another explanation?" Artoria asked.

"Not really…" He sighed.

"This really doesn't make any sense," Altria said.

"You three can think about it later. But for now, you three should get some rest today," Urahara said, hiding his face behind his fan.

"At least the Shinigamis doesn't want to track you for the time being," Altria said.

"Thank you for the help, Urahara," Ichigo said, and took the badge.

"Anything for my prized pupil and his beautiful girlfriends," Urahara said, smiling. After that, the three of them left the store and went to a date to kill some time.

* * *

 **Karakura Town Streets**

Orihime was lost in thought as she walked towards her house, pausing at an intersection. _'Ichigo,_ _Chad and Uryū were absent today… I wonder if I could sense their location…'_ Stopping fully and closing her eyes, she concentrated on what she perceived was 'Ichigo', 'Chad', and 'Uryū' _'Mmm… Ichigo is with Artoria-san and Altria-san. Chad is in the Urahara Shōten. But… I can't find Uryū-kun's Reiatsu. Private training, maybe?'_

Orihime soon arrived in front of her apartment, when a thought struck her. _'Wait! If everyone ditched school, maybe I should too!'_

"Welcome home, Orihime-chan," a female voice announced.

Orihime turned around to see an elderly lady. "Thanks, Shinmura-san!"

"By the way, about those two people who recently started to room with you? Are they alright?" The woman asked.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Orihime questioned.

"Well, you see, just a few minutes ago, there were carrying some huge mechanical object into your room," the woman explained. Orihime blinked a few times before she headed towards her apartment. When she entered, she saw an… organic-looking television. It was purple, and it took an entire wall of her apartment.

"That's so cool…" Orihime muttered as she saw the television.

"You came home at a bad time," Tōshirō said to himself before he faced the television. "This is 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya," He announced. Orihime watched as a bald old man appeared on the screen of the T.V. She stumbled slightly when she felt the ground shook slightly, which the Shinigami seemed to ignore.

 _'That's the Head Captain…!'_

"As expected. You quickly finished setting up the emergency line."

"Head Captain, why was the emergency line needed to be set up so immediately?" Tōshirō asked.

"The emergency line needed to be prepared for the sole purpose, to confirm the true goal of Sōsuke Aizen," The Head Captain voiced.

"O-Oh, this sounds very important… I'll just leave you alone," Orihime voiced as she headed for the door.

"Wait!" The Captain-Commander said. Orihime immodestly stopped and turned back to the screen. "This issue has to do with you humans, so stay and listen to this," He said, getting an unsure look from Orihime.

"…Okay," She agreed, placing herself next to Tōshirō.

"It's been a mouth since Aizen's disappearance. We are investigating the Fifth Division's Headquarters, the Central 46, and the Great Spirit Library. There is a considerable hardship for the investigation," Yamamoto informed.

"You can spare us the introductions, Head Captain," Tōshirō voiced. "Please, the main question."

The Head Captain nodded his head. "Captain Ukitake is in charge of the investigation of the Great Spirit Library. He discovered Aizen was looking for information on the Ōken," He informed.

"What's a 'Ōken'?" Orihime asked.

"It's the key to the royal family, exactly as the words are written," Rangiku said, who's lounging around in the room ever since Orihime entered. "Even in Soul Society, there are such things as Royal Families. Even if he is called the King, there's no actual proof to his existence, since he allows for the Chamber 46 to take care of all Soul Society's business and never intervenes. In truth, neither the Captain nor I have ever actually seen him before," She informed.

"The King is called the 'Soul King', who is a representative symbol as well as an existing figure of Soul Society," The Head Captain informed.

"Huh? Why would Soul Society need a symbol?" Orihime asked. "I mean, I don't really think you need a symbol if you guys fight Hollows…"

"Hmm… very perceptive," Captain-Commander Yamamoto commented. "But that is a discussion for another time… Just know this, you are not alone out there in the world," he added ominously. "The Royal Palace is within a separate dimension which exists within the core of Soul Society, and is being protected by their own special forces. The Ōken is the key need to enter the space it's located," Yamamoto informed.

"So that means… Aizen…" Orihime trailed off.

"…is planning to kill the Soul King," Captain-Commander Yamamoto accused coldly. "But the problem is not there," He added.

"…that book Aizen read was not one which would direct him to where the Ōken would be, was it?" Tōshirō asked.

"Indeed. For generations, the whereabouts of the Ōken have been passed down through word of mouth. Henceforth, there are no books existing could point him in the right location. What he looked at were documents which displayed the stated of time when the Ōken was made," Captain-Commander Yamamoto informed. "What he knows is the _method_ in creating the Ōken," he said gravely. "It requires a million souls, sacrificed in a land rich with spiritual energy."

"A million souls…" Orihime uttered, worried.

"That's correct, but what you guys are involved with is not the souls. It's the location… a place where a singular point of the Spiritual World and the Land of the Living meet. The place is bound to change with the times. " Captain-Commander Yamamoto said.

' _Why does this have to do… with us?'_ Orihime thought to herself, before she realized it.

"I see you've figured it out. The 'land rich with spiritual energy'… is Karakura Town," Head Captain Yamamoto informed. "We _will_ stop him. That is the purpose of the Gotei 13."

Tōshirō and Rangiku nodded in agreement, their expression resolute. "It's not much, but we have time. According to the reports from Captain Kurotsuchi, the Hōgyoku is now in a state of deep sleep. It will require special measures lasting up to four months for its complete awakening. Without it, Aizen has no way of using it under his control. Hence, he will only be able to move after this is completed. The final battle will be decided in the coming winter," Captain-Commander Yamamoto declared.

"Until then, refine your powers, and make preparations for your battles respectively," he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Tōshirō replied.

"And you, Inoue Orihime. Aizen's aim is the World of the Living. There will be times when we alone cannot deal with the attacks. There will be a need for people with strong power to be on the side of the World of the Living. Do you think you can inform Ichigo Kurosaki of the situation?" Head Captain Yamamoto asked.

"Yes, right away!"

* * *

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria's date was suddenly interrupted by a rushing Orihime, who reached them while panting heavily. Not that they mind it too much – they were just killing time, instead of intentionally finding space to be intimate. The orange-haired girl's alarmed look did pique their interest, however.

After catching her breath, she spoke of everything Head Captain Yamamoto explained, much to Ichigo's grim determination and the twins' shocked look.

"He is far more dangerous than I thought," Ichigo muttered, talking about Aizen.

"I know," Orihime agreed.

"What are you planning on doing, Ichigo?" Artoria asked.

"The only thing I can do is train hard and wait when the time comes… Orihime, you should go back now and stay close to Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. We can't say when those Arrancars will attack again," Ichigo suggested.

Orihime nodded. "Okay… take care of yourselves, you three."

"We will, don't worry," Artoria said, as they continued to walk home.

 _'How… how can I be stronger?'_ Orihime mulled as she walked home. Lost in thought, she didn't realize she bumped into someone, which she eventually recognized as the small-statured Rukia. "A-Ah! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Rukia replied. "Are you okay, Orihime?" she asked, noticing her blank expression.

"It's nothing," Orihime replied, causing Rukia to frown at her response.

"Orihime, you know you can tell me anything right?" Rukia asked, getting a nod as a response.

"It-it's nothing, really!" Orihime stuttered out under the smaller girl's intense stare, causing Rukia to sigh.

"Orihime, you need to talk about whatever it is which is bothering you," Rukia said. _'It has something to do with Ichigo, doesn't it?'_ She thought, sighing internally. "You've been this way since the Arrancar attacked for the first time," she observed, causing Orihime to break her eye contact with her, uncomfortable with her gaze. "So, I'll ask again, Orihime: What is bothering you?" Rukia pressed once more, determined to get a real answer.

"I-it's just that…" Orihime began, as she became unable to keep a smile on her face and adopted a slight frown. "Back in the park, I couldn't do anything…" Her voice faltered. "I wasn't strong enough to do anything… maybe if I was, I could have done _something…_ "

Under Rukia's frown, she continued, "If I was strong enough, maybe I could have helped Ichigo that time… and then Captain Hitsugaya and Rangiku-san," she added, frowning as well. "I don't want to be a burden to Ichigo and others; I want to help!" Orihime declared, as tears started to form in her eyes.

' _So it's just as I thought… she blames herself,'_ Rukia thought sadly, as she silently listened to Orihime's plight.

"It's just that… that I can't stand being _weak_. I-I just want to help; I don't want to be a burden!" Orihime said, forcibly wiping her tears away. "I just can't stop blaming myself for being weak…"

"What would Ichigo tell you if he heard you say those things?" Rukia asked, causing Orihime snap up.

"He… he would tell me not to worry… He would tell me to get stronger," Orihime replied as she wiped the tears away from her eyes, smiling at the simple realization.

"How badly do you want to become stronger, Orihime?" Rukia questioned, gaining the attention of Orihime.

"More than anything, I want to help in the war," Orihime said, with determination in her voice, eliciting a nod of understanding Rukia.

"Alright, then; come with me…" Rukia began, as Orihime went wide-eyed at what she said.

"T-To the Soul Society?" Orihime questioned, getting a nod as a response. "But I can't just leave the World of the Living… What should I tell my friends?" Orihime wondered aloud, as she began to seriously consider Rukia's offer.

"Orihime…" Rukia began, breaking her out of thought. "If you want to become stronger I will help you. Come with me, and we can become stronger together!"

After a moment of deep thought, mainly forming excuses for her normal friends, she stated, "Alright, Rukia… I'll do it." She was dead-set on getting stronger, so she would no longer burden Ichigo. ' _For Ichigo…'_

"Glad to hear it, Orihime. Your skills will be extremely useful in the coming war," Rukia stated, attempting to further assure Orihime she was making a good decision. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Urahara Shōten**

The determined pair of girls decided to visit Urahara, who's surprisingly relaxing while petting Yoruichi's cat form on his lap. It's more from the side of the usually proud woman being so slovenly, rather than the man's gall and right to do what he's doing, though.

Seeing the pair of newcomers, Urahara smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure, ladies?"

"A Senkaimon going back to Soul Society, please," Rukia asked. "Both of us will be training to prepare for the upcoming clash with Aizen."

"Are you certain you can handle this?" Yoruichi asked, looking up with her small cat head.

"Yes! I will do my best!" Orihime said, determined.

Looking at the steel in her eyes, the experienced Shinigamis could only smiled wryly and assisted their transfer. Orihime did have to use the Reishi Henkan-Ki to convert her physical form into Reishi; naturally, Rukia's gigai had no such problem in this regard.

Wishing them well, Urahara and Yoruichi bade them farewell.

* * *

 **1 month later…  
** **Hueco Mundo: Las Noches**

The Arrancar gathered in the main meeting room, with no idea what was going on. Aizen had suddenly summoned all of them to greet their 'new comrade'. Said being was mummified in a glass case, with the dormant Hogyoku sitting in front of it.

"It's Ulquiorra; requesting permission to enter," The fourth Espada said, replied by the door opening.

"Welcome, Ulquiorra," Aizen greeted.

"Aizen-sama, what's the status of the Hōgyoku?" Ulquiorra said, curious, getting straight to the point.

"50%, just as Soul Society expects. Although, unknown to Soul Society, when the Hōgyoku is in the presence of somebody with twice the spiritual power of a Captain, it will temporarily awaken at full power," Aizen said. The Hōgyoku suddenly began to glow and began to emit Reiatsu towards the mummified being in front of it, making it glow, before exploding in dust. After everything settled, everyone saw a pale being kneeling on the ground.

"What is your name, new comrade?" Aizen smiled at the Arrancar he created.

"Wonderweiss. Wonderweiss Margela," the being said in a broken speech.

Aizen smiled in satisfaction and looked back at Ulquiorra. "Ulquiorra, do you remember the order I gave you some time ago? Carry it out now; I will even allow you to take anybody you want," he spoke, which the 4th Espada nodded to.

Aizen turned his attention to the blue-haired Arrancar sitting.

"Would you also like to go, Grimmjow?" He questioned the blue-haired Arrancar without directly looking.

Grimmjow wasn't stupid. He was aware of what Aizen meant with his 'question': Go with them. He snarled when he remembered his defeat in the hand of Ichigo Kurosaki, before standing up resolutely and followed Ulquiorra's departure.

* * *

 **Karakura Town**

Tōshirō, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Rangiku were sitting in a quiet park. They were all performing Jinzen, a technique which allows the Shinigami to communicate with their Zanpakutō. Suddenly Yumichika jumped up from his spot and started complaining about his Zanpakuto. Yumichika's yelling broke Rangiku from her Jinzen. She glared Yumichika and complained about her Zanpakutō. The commotion from the two lieutenants forced Toshiro out of his Jinzen. He turned to the two lieutenants.

"Will you two shut up already!?" Tōshirō yelled. This shut both of the lieutenants up. Toshiro shook his head. "Can't they talk to their Zanpakuto more quietly?" He mumbles to himself.

Ikkaku was sitting down on a rock as he ignored everyone around him. Just then something on his senses tingled, almost like anticipation for a battle. Ikkaku opened his eyes and looked into the sky.

"The clouds...are moving?" Ikkaku said as he narrowed his eyes. Tōshirō opened his eyes and looked at the 3rd seat.

"Did you say something?" Tōshirō asked the bald man.

"No, nothhing."

Suddenly a Garganta appeared above them. Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of a Garganta.

* * *

 **Kurosaki Household**

At the house, Ichigo, Artoria and Altria could sense the appearance of the Garganta. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "They're back," As he used his badge to eject his soul. Like usual, he added, "Artoria, Altria… stay here and keep an eye on Yuzu and Karin."

"Are you sure about this?" Artoria asked, since he's been taking matters into his own hand more and more lately.

"Should one of us not come with you?" Altria asked, worried of the same thing.

Ichigo shook his head. "This time, Aizen has sent more powerful Arrancars. Stay here and protect them. I will call you if I need assistance."

In a few seconds, Ichigo was already halfway across town with his new application of Shunpō and Sonido, but screeched to a halt when he saw something flying towards him.

Soon enough, Grimmjow was standing in front of him. "I've been waiting for you, Shinigami," He growled out. They quickly drew their respective weapons and started to attack. Both blades clashed against each other as they locked. "I'll make sure to kill you this time for what you did to me last time, Shinigami!"

"And I'll make sure to finish what I started last time!" Ichigo shot back. Grimmjow let out a low growl, putting more force into his attack. As soon as he pushed forward, Ichigo raised Morgan and blocked the incoming slash.

"Release your Bankai while I am still giving you the chance!" Grimmjow said, backing away from him.

"You would have died just with my Shikai if not for Kaname, and now you want my Bankai?" Ichigo taunted him.

"Don't think I am just like the me a month ago. I am far more powerful than the last time we fought!" Grimmjow roared.

"Well, the same goes for me too. You can force me to use my Bankai if you have the strength, that is," Ichigo said, smirking, making Grimmjow scowl. "I can see the scars my Excalibur and Morgan have left on you."

Ichigo charged, using Invisible Air and Shunpō. Grimmjow blocked the invisible swords with his sword, was pushed back under the pressure. Ichigo tried to chop at his legs, only for him to jump up, but the trajectory was read well and Morgan was ready, slamming the Espada back down, though the latter managed to block it with a grunt. Using Sonido, he retreated quickly, but Invisible Excalibur managed to shallowly cut him in the chest.

"It seems you have gotten strong… _just a bit_ ," Ichigo said, placing his index finger and thumb slightly apart with a smirk.

"Damn you!" Grimmjow shouted, jabbing his finger at Ichigo's direction, gathering red Hollow Reiatsu. "Cero!"

"Reiatsu Burst!"Ichigo shot out a golden and black energy wave to counter, which slowly managed to overwhelm Grimmjow's attack after a brief clash. It's enough, though, to slow down the Reiatsu Burst, allowing the Espada to circle around Ichigo as they clashed once again.

"I will kill you for sure!" Grimmjow roared.

"Well… till now, I am the one who is nearly killing you all the time," Ichigo taunted him again. "Reiatsu Burst!"

Having already seen that attack's power before, Grimmjow immediately retreated… just according to Ichigo's plan.

"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!" Ichigo summoned six thin, wide beams of light which slammed into Grimmjow's midsection and held them in place.

"W-What is this?!" Grimmjow asked, as he tried to break free from the kidō.

"You don't have to know what it is; you will die soon, anyway."

Ichigo held his arm forward, outstretched, then using his other free hand to grip it, palm facing flat towards Grimmjow. "Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"

A gigantic electrical beam fired towards the immobilized Grimmjow, causing an explosion. When the ensuing dust settled, Grimmjow was severely burned.

"Y-Y-You b-bastard!" Grimmjow yelled out. Ichigo's attack had destroyed the Bakudō which was keeping him restraint, allowing him a chance to retaliate, but Ulquiorra suddenly Sonído'ed behind him.

"Our mission is complete; the subject has been secured. We're done here," He said emotionlessly. Another Garganta opened up and fired a yellow beam around them, which Ichigo recognized.

' _A negación_ ,' Ichigo thought, frustrated at leaving his targets alive, as they were safely returned to Hueco Mundo. "I am getting a really bad feeling…"

* * *

 **At Orihime's, ten minutes ago…**

"Before I leave, I'd just like to thank you all for welcoming me to Soul Society… and for helping me get stronger," Orihime said, slight bowing to the Shinigamis present: Rukia, Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyōraku and Captain Unohana.

"Don't mention it, Orihime. Your improvement is very noticeable, and that's is all that matters," Ukitake said, smiling.

"Indeed… I would like to personally thank you for healing many wounded Soul Reapers in my division. You have developed a reputation as somewhat of a lifesaver in that regard," Captain Unohana stated, also with a smile on her face.

"Rukia, I'd like to thank you personally for helping me get confidence in my abilities… I now have nothing holding me back from helping out in the upcoming war," Orihime said, as she walked up to Rukia.

Looking at the incoming hug, the small girl nimbly dodged it, sneering, "Alright, alright, enough with the cheesy lines. Just go already!"

"The Dangai has been prepared for your departure," Ukitake said, giggling at their banter, as the escort team stood at the ready, preparing to ensure Orihime travelled to Karakura Town safely.

"Right, thank you all again… I'll see you soon!" Orihime said, waving goodbye to the Shinigamis seeing her off.

When she left, Kyoraku muttered, "I just hope that girl knows what she's getting herself into… War isn't exactly a child's game."

"That's just it, Shunsui… All we can do is hope she is ready," Ukitake solemnly replied.

* * *

 **Dangai**

This certainly wasn't how Orihime pictured going home after a satisfactory training period.

"…!" She, and her Shinigami entourage, immediately entered combat stance, as a portal appeared within the Dangai, from where Ulquiorra stepped out coldly.

"Orihime Inoue, you are to come with me," he practically commanded, causing Orihime to frown. "Your presence has been requested in Las Noches by Lord Aizen."

' _What could Aizen want with me?'_ Orihime wondered.

"Like hell we'd allow you to take her!" One of the Shinigamis yelled, giving the others confirmation to draw their blades.

"No, don't!" Orihime screamed, but she was too late. Before the Shinigami could draw their blades, Ulquiorra attacked each of the Shinigami, dropping them off Dangai's precipice into nothingness.

"The ineptitude of the Soul Society never ceases to amaze me," Ulquiorra stated as he flicked his blade to his side, removing the blood from his blade.

"You didn't have to kill them!" Orihime said, sickened by the deaths of her protectors.

"Just as they did not have to draw their blades; in the end, their stupidity warranted my actions," Ulquiorra replied, his voice devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

"I won't come with you…!" Orihime sternly declared, her voice just as devoid of fear, full of conviction.

' _Not quite what I would have expected,'_ Ulquiorra thought, recalling the girl's lack of resolve from their previous encounter. Although slightly surprised by this, the green-eyed Espada made no indication of showing it, as he maintained an emotionless demeanor. "From your response, it would seem you are not afraid of me…" Ulquiorra began, rather amused. "You saw how easily I disposed of these Shinigami pieces-of-trash; do you honestly believe you will fare better?"

"I never said that," Orihime replied, still no fear evident in her voice.

"Interesting… you know you cannot defeat me, and yet you do not appear afraid," Ulquiorra said, more to himself than to the girl. "Regardless, you are to come with me and I won't tolerate any resistance on your end. My mission was quite clear and you are to be brought before Lord Aizen immediately," he continued, leaving no room for argument.

"And if I refuse?" Orihime more stated than asked.

"Let me make something very clear… simply because Lord Aizen has requested your presence, does not mean I am forbidden from causing you pain…or even bring you back in one piece," Ulquiorra began, causing Orihime to wince slightly at his choice of words and the cold manner in which they were delivered.

"I may not be able to harm you physically, but if you refuse to come with me, then I shall have no choice but to hunt down and kill all those close to you whom you consider friends," Ulquiorra explained.

' _Ichigo…'_ Orihime thought as she hung her head in defeat, realizing the Arrancar had successfully trapped her. She may not be afraid for herself, but involving those she held dear was something she would never allow.

"You see now that resisting if useless," Ulquiorra said, getting a slow nod as a response from the redheaded human.

"May… may I just heal the Shinigamis you injured?" Orihime asked with a heavy heart.

"You may," Ulquiorra replied, his voice as emotionless as ever.

After some minutes she healed the two Shinigamis, who thankfully had been caught by the fairies she secretly spread underneath her earlier. Ulquiorra opened up a Garganta with a simple flick of his wrist. "Come, you are expected," he ordered once more.

"Very well," Orihime replied, before she and Ulquiorra began to walk through the Garganta into Las Noches.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo: Las Noches**

"Aizen-sama, if I may ask… why is it you have chosen to call us to the throne room?" Szayel questioned, ever the curious observer.

"I have arranged for a little demonstration, courtesy of our upcoming guest," Aizen replied, causing confusion to grow amongst the Arrancar present.

"And who is this 'honoured guest', Lord Aizen?" Starrk asked, deciding to speak for everyone.

"Oh, well, she should be arriving shortly… ah, here she is now," Aizen said, as the doors to the throne room opened, revealing Ulquiorra and Orihime.

' _Who is that human girl?'_ All the Arrancar present thought similarly.

"I have returned, Aizen-sama… The mission was a success," Ulquiorra stated, as he and Orihime began to walk towards the throne and the large group of Arrancar below it.

"Very good, Ulquiorra," Aizen said, allowing himself a genuine smile of content at his plan beginning to take shape. "Do you know why you are here, Orihime Inoue?" he asked, noticing the girl's discomfort.

"No, I do not," Orihime replied, shaking her head.

"Your powers have indeed fascinated me since I first realized you possessed them… even now, I am not quite sure how it works," Aizen complimented. "However, for all your powers' interesting characteristics, it cannot be overlooked your abilities make you quite an annoyance in the coming war."

' _Is that what this is all about…?'_ Orihime wondered, as Aizen continued to speak.

"Therefore, I cannot allow your abilities to be used against me… this is why you are here. Your powers now belong to _me_ ," Aizen explained, causing Orihime to grow saddened.

"However, I am not a cruel man by nature. I will not force you to harm any of your friends, nor will I force you to fight in my army," Aizen added, slightly relieving Orihime.

"I see…" Orihime replied, just above a whisper.

"I have gathered the Arrancar here in order for them to see a demonstration of your powers in person. Would this be acceptable to you?" Aizen requested in a smooth calming tone, his characteristic smile never fading.

' _I have no choice… if I want my friends to be alright then I have to comply,'_ Orihime reasoned in silence, before nodding her head in response to Aizen's request.

"Splendid! Grimmjow…" Aizen began, getting the attention of the Sexta Espada, ."..those injuries you got from Ichigo Kurosaki has not fully healed, correct?" He questioned, causing Grimmjow to grow irritated at the mention of his injuries.

"Yeah, I'm not fully healed yet," Grimmjow grumbled, obviously trying not to throw a tantrum.

"Now, Orihime, if you would be so kind as to heal Grimmjow's injuries," Aizen said.

"Yes," Orihime replied, as her hairpins exited her hair and began to form a golden barrier around Grimmjow's body. All the scars and burns began to heal.

' _Her healing abilities seem to have improved while she was in the Soul Society… it would appear she was training quite feverishly,'_ Aizen reasoned in thought as he observed healing process. "Your healing abilities really are quite marvelous, Orihime," he complimented once again, walking up to the girl.

"Thank you," Orihime replied sadly, something which did not go unnoticed by Aizen.

"You are clearly upset I have brought you here; that is perfectly understandable… but know I will do everything I can to make you as comfortable as possible during your stay," Aizens spoke with a voice as smooth as honey, almost making Orihime believe him.

' _If only that were true…'_ Orihime thought suspiciously, as Aizen's empty promise sunk in.

"Now, all of you are dismissed. Ulquiorra, would you be so kind as to take our honoured guest to her room?" Aizen requested.

* * *

 **The next day…**

Ichigo, Artoria and Altria were walking towards Karakura Highschool, when they felt a familiar Reiatsu coming towards them. They turned to the window to see Tōshirō Hitsugaya standing there. "Come with me, you three. There is a problem!"

Before Ichigo could say anything, the short captain was already gone. The trio sighed in slight irritation as they changed into their Soul form leaving Kon in Ichigo's body as he took the girl's Gigai's back to home.

 **"Let's go now,"** Artoria said.

 **"What is that problem he was talking about?"** Altria asked.

"We will know in a moment," Ichigo said. They ran towards Orihime's apartment, surprised all the Shinigami from Tōshirō's group was here. They hopped through an open window and follow the short captain to a room with a giant… purple… TV-thing set up.

Ichigo turned to Rukia, having sensed what's going on. "Is Orihime in danger?" He asked

"Is the communication channel open?" Tōshirō asked his Lieutenant, who nodded her head. Just then, the screen fizzled into colour, showing Ukitake. "Captain Ukitake? Where is the Head Captain?"

"I'm here in his stead," Ukitake answered.

"Why?"

"Because I was the one who last saw Orihime Inoue alive."

Unlike Ichigo, the twins had just now realized what's going on, immediately asking the screen, "What do you mean?!"

"Judging by your reactions, I assume you have no idea where they are either," Ukitake said. "Earlier, I received reports from the 12th Division that an Arrancar was detected in sector 237-65, which was abnormally close to where Orihime Inoue was last seen. After a few minutes of the arrival of the Arrancar, Orihime Inoue's Reiatsu vanished. This leads us to believe she was either murdered… or kidnapped."

"When I was fighting the Sixth Espada, an Arrancar came to interrupt, saying, _"Our mission is complete; the subject has been secured. We're done here."_ " Ichigo quoted calmly, though his eyes were already burning with eagerness.

"I see, then. This is truly a pity," The booming voice of the Head Captain spoke from behind Ukitake.

"A pity?" Ichigo questioned.

Head Captain closed his eyes and slightly tightened his grip on his cane.

"If what you say is true, then Inoue Orihime is still alive. But at the same time… there is a possibility she is maybe a traitor," Yamamoto said.

Suddenly everyone in Orihime's apartment could feel a huge wave of Reiatsu pressing on them.

 **"You should take that back,"** Ichigo growled. **"No matter how a person of your position must see things… there are certain things which are too _stupid_ to say."**

Rukia, Rangiku, and Yumichika were on their knees, struggling to breathe, wwhile the stronger Tōshirō, Renji and Ikkaku were forcing themselves to stand still.

Folding her arms together, Artoria added, "Normally… I will try to calm him down. But you deserve this, Head Captain."

Altria followed up, "Your intellect has disappointed us this time."

After a while, the pressure – which was directed to the TV rather than around Ichigo from the start, managing to make it leak through the other side – alleviated. "Was there anything _else_ you discovered? Perhaps you're actually spending some time doing something meaningful, rather than thinking up false accusations?" Ichigo asked tersely, looking right into the eye of Head Captain.

"No, there was nothing else," Head Captain answered. He didn't verbally retaliate because he, too, was disappointed in himself.

An esteemed guest went missing right under _his_ jurisdiction, Soul Society, whose walls had never been breached before. A group of one Shinigami-hybrid and a few Ryōkas did it, which was already a massive blow to his ego… and now, this? It's a wonder he himself held together without rushing off to behead Aizen rashly, not to mention Ichigo's feelings.

"Who saw her the last time?"

"It was the escort team who saw her before the Arrancar attacked them and passed out. When they woke up, their injuries were healed," Ukitake informed.

Ichigo closed his eyes. "With that kind of evidence, you're still accusing her as a traitor? What else do you need – for her to personally send those escorts to the 4th Division barracks under Captain Unohana's witness?"

Tōshirō, having regained his bearing the fastest, tapped Ichigo's chest. "…you're going over the limit, Kurosaki. I'm sure you've realized that."

It was more of a plead than a scolding, but Ichigo visibly backed off, much to the others' relief.

"Not only that, but we know Aizen's Zanpakuto can hypnotize people, so let's not jump to the worst possible scenario without using your old head out first," He finished. Everyone was stunned at the way he talked towards Head Captain Yamamoto.

"I agree with Ichigo Kurosaki", Renji said, with a respectful bow. "Please, Head Captain, I volunteer myself to go on a rescue mission with him."

"Your request is denied. We can't afford to lose any more soldiers, now that we know the enemy is prepared for war," Head Captain Yamamoto ordered.

"Aah, _Now_ I can see why Aizen and your fellow Shinigami would betray you," Ichigo said, startling the Shinigamis in the room.

"Ichigo, what are you saying…!" Rukia started to say.

"I will not blame him anymore for betraying you as I can actually understand a little. He got tired of you all, and left." The Head Captain glared at Ichigo, but he simply looked at him and continued. "You can't even save _one soul_ , and you talk about saving the entire world. You don't even pay attention to what is happening to the souls in the Rukongai!" He stated.

"You tell the poor souls the place you will send them is heaven, but the moment they appear there, it becomes a constant struggle between life and death. They are always looking around, scared if some thug will attack them. If not that, then they just starve to death."

"Ichigo… are you aware of what you are saying?" Ukitake said in a surprised voice.

"I am. I could see Aizen was right when he said Shinigamis are arrogant. I can see that clearly now," Ichigo turned around and looked at each of the Shinigami in the room. "All of you would have died if Orihime didn't use her powers to save your lives." He looked back at the Head Captain. "And when it's the time to repay that debt, you repay her by labeling her a _traitor!_ "

Everyone was too stunned to say anything. Ichigo began to shake his head side-to-side. "I really am glad I just have the power of Shinigami and was not born as one… Now, I rather prefer to be a Hollow then be one of _your_ kind," He venomously said, leaving immediately, with Artoria and Altria followed behind him.

Rukia put her hand on his shoulder; trying to stop him from leaving. "Ichigo, don't ju-"

"Get your hand off of me, _Rukia Kuchiki_ , or you won't have it anymore," Ichigo coldly replied.

Rukia was shocked at his reply, as it reminded her of her older brother. "I-Ichigo…"

Before anyone else could say anything, the door to Orihime's apartment was shut.

* * *

 **Night Time**

 _'Where is she?!'_ Tatsuki thought, running around Karakura Town. She used her limited Reiatsu senses to try and find the missing Orihime. Somehow, after spending some more time with her friend after _'that'_ incident, she'd learned how Orihime 'felt', and always knew where she was. This time, though Tatsuki could feel nothing.

' _It has to do with that monster-killing stuff,'_ Tatsuki thought quickly, coming up with some kind of explanation. She had run over to the usual spots she would find Orihime, but she wasn't there. She then ran towards Ichigo's house. _'Ichigo has to know. I know it!'_

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki yelled once she found the trio outside of their house.

"What's wrong Tatsuki?" Ichigo asked her, as Tatsuki caught some of her breath.

"I can't find Orihime. She isn't home or anywhere else and I've searched _everywhere!_ I've always been able to sense her... Now, I can't," Tatsuki said, panicking, but was quickly replaced with a small accusing look. "But _you_ know where she is, don't you?"

The trio was more surprised of the girl's ability to sense Reiatsu, however latent it was. _"Well, I would say I'm surprised, but I'm really not. She's been around your unstable Reiatsu the longest, so she probably had started to develop her own,"_ Altria said.

 _"It is better if you tell her about Orihime, or she will just get more worried and do something stupid,"_ Artoria pointed out.

"She was kidnapped. I am planning to leave to rescue her tonight," Ichigo bluntly said, his volume barely just above a whisper.

Tatsuki's angry and demanding face fell and she let out a small surprised gasp. "What?!" She said, both in surprise and disbelief. She blinked her eyes a few times, then put on a determined face. "What do you mean… 'kidnapped'? If she really was kidnapped, then I'm going too! You can't leave me behind."

"You can't," Altria said

"These people aren't human, Tatsuki." Ichigo interrupted before she could protest further.

Tatsuki stopped her arguing and then adopted a look of slight confusion.

"The people who kidnapped Orihime are the same people who you saw at the park a few days ago. They have the power to blow up mountains with just one attack, and are faster than anybody can see. You can't fight them," Artoria explained to her.

"I don't want anyone to die by coming with me. I… no, _we_ are going to rescue her and bring her back," Ichigo told her.

Tatsuki grit her teeth but finally relented. "Fine. But you better bring her back _yourself_! If you don't come back, then I will never forgive you!" Tatsuki said seriously, as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. Ichigo comfort his long-time friend. Soon Ichigo let her go and they left their separate way. Ichigo opened the door to find Isshin wasn't there. They expected the usual surprise attack from Isshin.

"Good Evening Ichi-nii, Artoria-nee and Altria-nee." Yuzu greeted.

"Hello Yuzu. Where is Goat-chin?"

"He said that there was an emergency at Karakura General Hospital and they needed more doctors tonight due to a major accident." Karin said.

"I see." Soon everyone sat down and enjoyed the delicious meal Yuzu cooked. "Yuzu. Karin." Ichigo said. They looked at Ichigo. "We will be gone for the next few days."

"Is it related to that Shinigami business?" Karin asked.

"Something like that but it is not something dangerous we are just going to meet some people for a meeting conference that is all." Artoria lied with a heavy heart.

"Really it is not something dangerous?" Yuzu asked in a scared tone.

"Yeah Yuzu we are just going for a meeting that is all like the ones that your dad goes from time to time." Altria tried to assure her and Karin.

"Okay then." Yuzu said with a smile.

"When will you three come back?" Karin asked.

"At most a week." Ichigo said as Artoria passed a paper to them.

"What is this Onee-chan?" Yuzu asked as she and Karin saw that it was a map.

"If you need anything then go to this place you will see two little kids a boy with red hair and a girl with black hair or a big man with black glasses or a man with blond hair and a bucket hat." Artoria said.

"Tell them that you two are sisters of Ichigo Kurosaki and they will help you with everything." Altria said.

"And make sure that you stay away from a black cat in there or a woman with violet hair and dark skin." Ichigo said.

"Why is that Ichi-nii?" Karin asked.

"She is a bad influence that should be never allowed to be around kids, that is why." Ichigo said. With that said, they left towards Urahara Shōten.

* * *

 **Urahara Shōten**

"Ah, I'd thought you would come here!" Urahara whipped out his fan and settled it in front of his smirk.

 _"This man..."_

 ** _"I want to punch him in the face through that fan!"_** Altria roared mentally.

 ** _"Calm down, Altria; you know how he is,"_** Artoria said.

"Really?" Ichigo deadpanned at the shopkeeper.

"Of course! Come on in, and we'll get you a way into Hueco Mundo," Urahara turned around and walked into the building. As they made their way to the underground training chamber, he added much more seriously, "I'm sorry about Orihime. I tried to help her, but she was still kidnapped right under our noses." Urahara let the brim of his hat tip over his eyes as he apologized to Ichigo.

"Urahara, there is no need for you to apologize. You are not the one who kidnapped her, or failed to devise a system to keep her safe," Ichigo said to the shopkeeper.

"Regardless, I'll do what I can to help you… but you'll be going against Soul Society."

"Why do you think I'm here? If something happens to my sisters or father, please help them. I have already told them about you, Tessai, and the kids."

"No need to worry about them. I will keep them safe in your stead," Urahara said.

As they set things up, a voice chimed from behind him. "You look pretty pathetic, Ichigo."

Ichigo turned to see Uryū with a different Quincy uniform, sitting close by with a slight smirk on his face… and Chad standing beside him.

The orange-haired boy moved his palm over his face once, already deciding to not ask anything, and just be grateful.

When the two finally got a look at his face, it was his usual stern, but thankful expression. "Maybe I haven't said this enough… but thank you, guys."

The two just waved it off, as Urahara put up the finishing touches.

"Good! Are you guys ready?" Urahara asked.

With synchronized nods received, the shop owner jumped into the air onto a long wooden platform sticking out of the rock, where another one stood across him. "Give me just a moment… and you'll have one path to Hueco Mundo."

Urahara set the end of his cane down on the ground and sat on one knee, starting the incantation.

"My right hand is the stone which bridges worlds. My left hand is the blade which binds reality. The black-haired shepherd is hung from a chair. Stratus clouds come, and I strike the ibis!" A blue glow shot out from Urahara's hand and struck the other wooden platform. Seconds later, a large black slit opened in reality, which both Ichigo and Ishida recognized as a Garganta.

"There are no pathways inside this Garganta," Urahara spoke from atop the wooden platform. "There is only flowing spirit particles; you will need to use those spirit particles to form a pathway until you reach the end. Voila! Hueco Mundo!"

 ** _"I really want to punch him in the face," _**Altria said.

 ** _"You can punch him after we come back,"_** Artoria said.

"Alright then everyone, let's go." Ichigo jumped towards the giant portal with Artoria and Altria with Uryū and Chad following right behind them.

* * *

 ** _Next time: Espadas and Reinforcements_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	7. Espadas and Reinforcements

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners.**

 ** _Beta Tester:_** ** _ekaterina016_**

* * *

 **Recap:** _"If something happens to my sisters or father, please help them. I have already told them about you, Tessai, and the kids."_

 _"No need to worry about them. I will keep them safe in your stead," Urahara said._

 _As they set things up, a voice chimed from behind him. "You look pretty pathetic, Ichigo."_

 _Ichigo turned to see Uryū with a different Quincy uniform, sitting close by with a slight smirk on his face… and Chad standing beside him._

 _The orange-haired boy moved his palm over his face once, already deciding to not ask anything, and just be grateful._

 _When the two finally got a look at his face, it was his usual stern, but thankful expression. "Maybe I haven't said this enough… but thank you, guys."_

 _The two just waved it off, as Urahara put up the finishing touches._

 _"Good! Are you guys ready?" Urahara asked._

 _With synchronized nods received, the shop owner jumped into the air onto a long wooden platform sticking out of the rock, where another one stood across him. "Give me just a moment… and you'll have one path to Hueco Mundo."_

 _Urahara set the end of his cane down on the ground and sat on one knee, starting the incantation._

 _"My right hand is the stone which bridges worlds. My left hand is the blade which binds reality. The black-haired shepherd is hung from a chair. Stratus clouds come, and I strike the ibis!" A blue glow shot out from Urahara's hand and struck the other wooden platform. Seconds later, a large black slit opened in reality, which both Ichigo and Ishida recognized as a Garganta._

 _"There are no pathways inside this Garganta," Urahara spoke from atop the wooden platform. "There is only flowing spirit particles; you will need to use those spirit particles to form a pathway until you reach the end. Voila! Hueco Mundo!"_

 ** _"I really want to punch him in the face," _**_Altria said._

 ** _"You can punch him after we come back,"_** _Artoria said._

 _"Alright then everyone, let's go." Ichigo jumped towards the giant portal with Artoria and Altria with Uryū and Chad following right behind them._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 7:_** **_Espadas and Reinforcements_**

* * *

"I'm still so surprised your control is this good Ichigo," Uryū and others followed behind Ichigo's golden-black path of spiritual energy, complimenting him with a shocked tone.

"Shut up," Ichigo said, joking slightly as they both continued sprinting through the Garganta.

 **"Hey,** **Uryū, what is up with your sudden boost in the power?"** Altria asked.

Ichigo, Artoria, and Chad also looked on curiously, to which Uryū raised his eyebrow for a second, slightly scowling at the memory of Ryūken shooting at him. "Well, I made a deal with my father… then got shot at in a special ritual," he summarized his _torture_ all in one sentence, making Ichigo slightly stumble for a second.

 **"Well, you're no better. You got attacked by a little girl, had your chain of fate severed, and tossed in a hole to become a Hollow,"** Altria pointed out to Ichigo with a smirk on her face.

"What was the deal?" Ichigo asked Uryū, trying to shift the attention away from himself.

"Well, I was told to not associate myself with Shinigamis ever again."

Ichigo smirked. "Lucky for you, I am also a Quincy."

 **"You found a very good loop hole,"** Artoria said.

 **"But I am getting the feeling he already knew from the beginning you will use that, though…"** Artoria pointed out.

"You are right; he is certainly not some idiot who won't think of that," Ichigo added.

 **"Are you sure you should be here with us?"** Artoria asked.

"Of course. I will deal with him when we go back, and I don't think he will actually say anything," Uryū said.

Soon, they reached their end destination, where Chad looked out first for any dangers. He saw they appeared in a minimalistic large hallway with no discernible style of architecture.

 **"Hmm… so this is Hueco Mundo?"** Altria said, looking around.

 **"We are inside of a big building,"** Artoria remarked.

The question on which direction they should go was answered when a gigantic Arrancar came stomping down from one end towards them.

 **"Oh, great! Here we go!"** Altria grinned, drawing her sword; however, she was suddenly grabbed by his master and carried down the hall as he, Chad, Uryū and Artoria ran from the enemy.

 **"Are you crazy, Altria?! If we fight in this narrow space, the whole ceiling could come down on us!"** Artoria chided in her typical know-it-all fashion.

* * *

 **Soul Society**

"That idiot DID WHAT?!" Rukia's voice rang across the 13th Division grounds.

"Err, he, his Zanpakutō spirits, Chad and Uryū went to Hueco Mundo after the Head Captain ordered him not to?" Renji said, as he defensibly put up his arms to defend himself from the yelling he was about to get.

"I'm going to smack that strawberry across the face when I see him…!" Rukia grinded her teeth against each other.

"To be fair, he doesn't know Squad Zero has ordered us to protect him. Also, he invaded _Soul Society_ itself for you, so I think it's safe to say he would do the same for Orihime," Renji tried to reason with Rukia, who walked out of her office, red in the face from the myriad of emotions inside her.

"Where are you going?!" Renji ran out behind Rukia.

"Urahara must have helped him; we are going to follow him!" Rukia jumped through a Senkaimon, as Renji let out a sigh of annoyance, jumping in behind her.

 _''We', huh…?'_ The red-haired lieutenant refocused on the new task at hand. Naturally, they did this without proper permission from their superiors.

Seconds later, the shoji doors closed behind them, as they left for the world of the living.

Byakuya took another sip of his tea, silently watching them leave.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo  
Fifteen minutes later…**

 **"Oh, good job, Artoria! The ceiling came crashing down anyway!"** Altria complained, pulling the Quincy out of the sand.

 **"How was I supposed to know it was booby-trapped?"** Artoria argued.

"What the hell is that?" Ichigo asked, taking everyone's attention towards his pointing finger. It was directed at a massive castle, which they couldn't tell if it was close or far away.

"If I would have to guess, I would think Orihime is there," Uryū guessed, as Ichigo nodded his head.

 **"Most likely Aizen as well,"** Altria added.

 **"And if Aizen is there, then those Espadas will also be there,"** Artoria said.

"Let's go then," Ichigo said.

They all began to run towards the castle, but Ichigo noticed Chad was looking a little distracted by something. _'I wonder what is troubling him…?'_

* * *

 **Twenty minutes later…**

 **"HOW FAR IS THAT DAMN THING?! IT HASN'T EVEN GOTTEN CLOSER!"** Altria yelled, as they were already running for some time **.**

 **"We have been running for some time now, but it doesn't even seem like we have gotten closer,"** Artoria agreed.

"Do you guys hear that?" Uryū suddenly stopped, turning his head one side.

Ichigo and the others did the same, and sure enough, they heard something… sounding awfully a lot like crying.

 **"Is that a kid... being chased by a worm and two Hollows?"** Altria asked.

Sure enough, they looked over, seeing a giant worm Hollow along with some beetle-looking Hollow, and a red one with a giant mask chasing some kid.

"Give me a second," Ichigo said, disappearing. A few moments later, he reappeared in front of the 3 Hollows, having pulled out his sealed Excalibur in its invisible form.

The 3 Hollows stopped and froze. After a few seconds of staring at each other, they lifted their arms and covered their faces. "D-Don't hurt us!" The 2 smaller Hollows said, as the worm... bowed.

Ichigo blinked once, then twice. "I'm sorry… what? Weren't you just about to devour that kid?"

Suddenly, the kid jumped in front of the Hollows and bowed along with them.

"We're sorry!" The 3 said together. Others jumped over beside Ichigo and looked at the kid.

"You're a Hollow as well?" Uryū asked, as the kid pulled off her green hood to show a Hollow mask on her head.

"We are Arrancars! I'm Peche, the older brother of Nel!" The Arrancar Peche slightly waved.

"I'm the oldest brother, Dondochakka!" The bigger red one said.

"And that's Bowwabowwa!" Nel pointed to the massive worm.

"Right... so what were you guys doing?" Uryū pushed up his glasses.

"We played a game of eternal tag!" Nel said, rubbing the back of her head in slight embarrassment, much to the visitors' confusion. "Thweres nothing to pass the time here in Hueco Mundo, so we play 'eternal tag'."

"Then why were you crying?" Ichigo asked.

"Nel's a masochist! It's no fun if I don't cry," Nel smiled like it was normal.

Artoria turned to the 2 bigger Arrancars and smacked them across the head. **"Just what is it you are teaching this girl?!"** She yelled out at them, who jumped back in slight pain.

"Hey, Mister, why are you all here?" Nel suddenly pointed at Ichigo's clothing. "You look like a Shini... gami…" Her voice reduced into a whisper when she finally recognized his outfit. "YOU'RE BAD GUYS!" She yelled out, taking defence behind the 2 Hollows, who in turn held up their arms in a pathetic imitation of a karate stance.

"GET BACK; I'LL DEFEND YOU FROM THIS BAD GUYS!" The beetle-looking Hollow performed weak-looking karate chops.

"Uhhh, we are not a bad guys?" Ichigo slowly said, with confusion. Nel slowly walked out from behind the 2 Hollows. _'Are we?'_

 ** _"Well you are part Shinigami so you are a bad guy from a Hollows prospective,"_** Altria said.

 ** _"But he is also part Hollow,"_** Artoria pointed.

"You people are not bad gwuys? You're not gunna' kill us?" Nel said, fumbling her words in a childlike way.

"Erhm, no... we are not going to kill you. I'm trying to rescue some of my friends," Ichigo told the little Arrancar, who had a sad, sympathetic look on her face.

"What happened?" Nel said, frowning.

 ** _"Hold up... I think I have a plan,"_** Altria said, smirking, before mentally channelling her plan to him.

Hearing it, he internally face-palmed. " _I can't believe I am going to do this…"_

 ** _"Well, we are on a rescue mission; every second counts,"_** Artoria said.

Starting slowly, he asked the little girl, "You see, Nel… I'm playing a game right now as well! Do you know who Aizen is?" She suddenly nodded up and down, falling for the first part of 'the plan'.

Uryū 's mind clicked into the same idea after some time. _'Is Ichigo about to do what I think he's going to do?'_

"Of course! Aizen-sama is the top of the Espada!" Nel said confidently. "He's the ruler of the Arrancars in Las Noches! He's much better than us, little Arrancars."

 _'Here goes nothing...'_

"That's good! Did you know Aizen likes to play 'eternal tag' too?" Ichigo asked, kneeling down to her level, as Uryū started coughing.

Nel perked up suddenly, asking cutely, "Really!? Aizen-sama likes to play eternal tag?"

"Yes! In fact, him and I are playing that game right now; but unfortunately, he got a head start on me, and now I'm so far behind I'll never catch up to him," Ichigo sighed.

You could hear Nel and the two Arrancar gasp in surprise.

"Oh, no!" Nel exclaimed.

"Do you think you could help me get to that big castle?" One could hear the dislike of the plan in Ichigo's voice for using a kid like this, but as a kid, Nel had no clue.

Altria started smiling smugly.

"Of course! We'll give you an awesome ride!" Nel and the Arrancars leaped onto the giant worm's back, and motioned for Ichigo and others to jump on.

"I can't believe that actually worked," Uryū said dryly, as he hopped onto the worm right behind Ichigo.

 **"Yeah, I really didn't think it will work,"** Artoria said jumping.

 **"You people really should not underestimate me!"** Altria frowned and did the same.

"We didn't underestimate you; it's just that the plan was a little… childish," Ichigo said.

"Like snatching a candy from a kid," Chad said, joining everyone on the worm.

"Well, let's get going then…" Ichigo said, but suddenly, the sand started shaking all around them.

 **"Err, what the heck is that?"** Altria wobbled

"Bowwabowwa must be hungry," Nel cheerfully said.

"Are you sure? It feels like something's coming," Uryū said, narrowing his eyes.

Just in time, massive amounts of sand shot up from the ground.

"You won't get that far!" A voice from beneath them shouted, revealing the distinctive white bone plate of an Arrancar.

"Oh… what now?" Ichigo asked.

Nel started to shake in fear as she pointed at the massive Arrancar.

"That's Runuganga, the Guardian of the White Sand!" Nel shook her finger as she pointed at the big sand monument. Dondochakka and Peche also were shaking, holding on to each other for dear life. Bowwabowwa stopped in its tracks, clearly intimidated by the newcomer.

"That thing is really huge," Ichigo said, craning his neck up to see the top.

"No kidding. We need to find a weak spot and take him out quickly," Uryū analysed the giant sand creature, aiming his bow at the mask.

"I am the guardian of Las Noches," the creature bellowed down at them.

The four Hollows they met were freaking out, causing a ruckus. Uryū pulled back his hand and formed an arrow, launching it right at the Hollow's mask. The arrow went right through it, leaving a burnt hole in the face.

 **"It has regeneration abilities!"** Altria shouted out to Uryū.

 **"Well, it _is_ made of sand, so I guess as long as it can find sand, it will continue to regenerate,"** Artoria suggested.

"And the place we are right now is a dessert," Ichigo said.

"You will die eventually, and I will devour you all!" The giant sand monster roared out.

"Damn, the only thing I can think of is water or extreme heat, but I don't have either of those!" Uryū said.

"You're right; I guess I have some suitable kidō," Ichigo said. "Hadō #54: Haien!" A purple energy fired from his right palm and hit the sand Arrancar, making it yell out in pain, before it turned into glass and shattered after a few moments.

"Is he dead?" Ichigo looked over at Uryū, who nodded his head.

"I can't sense his Reiatsu, so I guess that did the trick," He confirmed.

The brief but intense encounter caused the 3 weak Arrancars to be blown off the giant worm's back, but when Ichigo looked around to check on them, Nel and her two retainers popped out of the sand, dirty and choking, but relatively unharmed. "Thwat was awesome!" She excitedly jumped onto Ichigo's shoulder after recovering.

However, their victory moment was short-lived, as two considerable spiritual pressures approached them at high speed. One of them felt… _pissed._

 _'Is that... Rukia?'_

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Rukia and Renji flash-stepped beside Ichigo and Uryū. The former had a ticked off look on her face, while the latter was slightly smirking.

"Idiot! Why the hell did you charge off into Hueco Mundo!" Rukia tried to smack the top of Ichigo's head, which had Nel hanging on it like some amusement ride.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Why did you tried to hit me?!" Ichigo asked, frowning.

Rukia had a small tick mark on her head. "Why didn't you wait for us?!" She calmed herself down after a few short breaths, but still felt the urge to smack him over the head.

"Well, I didn't know if you were coming or not, after what happened in Orihime's apartment. I, Artoria and Altria planned to come here by ourselves, but Uryū and Chad were already there waiting for us."

"Tch, if you think we weren't going to help you, then you need your head checked," Renji said to him, though far more casually and friendly than their midget female friend.

"What was that, Kidō Inept?" Ichigo teased Renji with an irritated scowl on his face, though it's clear he's just playing, earning him a smack on the arm.

Artoria then coughed deliberately to gain Ichigo's attention. **"Ichigo, don't you have something to say?"**

Ichigo sighed, turning to Rukia with a serious look, breaking his engagement with Renji. "Rukia… I am sorry for what I said last time."

She shook her head, smiling peacefully. "Apology accepted. However, I can understand you were just angry at that time. No worries."

With that done, Ichigo could finally did his final preparations. Firstly, they introduced both parties, as the Arrancars were confused by the sudden appearance of two more Shinigamis, and vice versa. Luckily, there's enough space on Bowwabowwa for all of them, though it made it slightly more cramped…

…and as always, within tight spaces, tempers could flare.

 **"Are we there yet?"** Altria asked for what felt like the millionth time, after every three seconds of receiving a "No." from everyone.

"Ichigo, your Zanpakutō spirit has the patience of a goldfish," Rukia complained, to which he only silently shrugged.

"Even Yachiru is more patient then her," Renji added.

 **"Did you say something, Pineapple Head? Midget?"** Altria growled in a low voice, as Renji and Rukia broke in a cold sweat.

"N-nothing at a-all," Renji stuttered.

"I-I am s-sorry," Rukia apologized.

 **"Make that mistake again, and no one will ever find your bodies…!"** Altria turned her head to the left, sulking.

"Whatever... Hey Nel, how much longer till we get there?" Ichigo looked over at the small Arrancar jumping up and down on the giant worm's head.

Nel turned around while she was still jumping. "Nel thinks we are close!"

Ichigo couldn't stop himself as he face-palmed. _'That didn't even tell me how close we are…'_

"Nel says we are here!"

Ichigo looked up… right as Bowwabowwa crashed right into the side of Los Noches, knocking everyone onto the sand. He quickly reached up to catch the flying Nel, managing to balance himself, along with everyone, in the air, and landed onto the sand on their feet.

…except for Chad. His other friend didn't land so gracefully.

Rukia and Uryū had their faces shoved into the sand, while Renji smacked right into the outer wall of Los Noches.

 **"We are finally here,"** Altria laughed.

 **"For a minute, I believed we won't reach this place until tomorrow,"** Artoria said.

Chuckles spread across the group, not really caring their entrance wasn't what could be called 'subtle'. After all, Aizen should be familiar with Ichigo's rescue attempts, so perhaps it's time to do something different. Besides, he's likely to know the group's location ever since their respective Gargantas opened.

Reaching for the sealed Morgan, he raised it up high into the air, gathering black Reiatsu, much to Rukia's sudden shivers.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Making us an entrance." Ichigo slashed it faster than any of them could see. " **Reiatsu Burst!"**

A black energy wave shot forward and sliced right into the wall, carving a massive hole was carved into the wall, creating a big entrance. Well... it also made a big explosion.

"Idiot! Watch where your aiming!" Rukia tried to kick Ichigo in the shin, having several strands of her hair burnt off.

"Damned midget! I wasn't even close to hitting any of you!" Ichigo countered back, though Rukia had already started walking towards the entrance.

"Thwat was cool!" Nel shouted out. Ichigo turned around and saw her and the other 2 Hollows standing there with awe on their faces, whom he almost forgot for a moment.

However, much to his surprise, Nel started walking towards the same hole in the wall. "Where are you going?" Ichigo asked, but she turned around with a little bit of confusion written on her face.

"I'm going with you, Itsygo!" Nel happily declared.

"Denied."

"Why nowt! I want to help Itsygo so I'm coming!" Nel ran after the now-cold Ichigo, jumping on his back and sitting on his shoulder once more.

"Ichigo, let's go!" Rukia yelled at him from inside his makeshift door.

"Fine…" Ichigo grumbled out, and started walking with Nel sitting on his back.

 **"But you must not wander around on your own,"** Artoria warned.

 **"And also stay close to us all the time,"** Altria added.

"Okay!"

* * *

 **Soul Society**

Yamamoto let out another irritated sigh.

 _'I should have expected this,'_ He just learned Ichigo was Isshin's boy… which explained his recent rash endeavours. The boy had left for Hueco Mundo before Yamamoto could stop him, and now he was closer to being dead by Aizen's, or his Arrancars', hands.

He was going to smack Kisuke Urahara over the head with his cane the next time he saw him.

Ichigo Kurosaki. The captains still had no clue to why Squad Zero had ordered them to protect him, and just what was special about him. To the older captains' knowledge, he was just a boy who was a son of a Shinigami and a human. Isshin had not told them who his mother was.

Squad Zero had ordered them to protect him… and now, Aizen had him in his sights.

Nothing good could come from that.

 _'If Aizen does something to that boy… we don't even know what will happen after that.'_

Yamamoto let out another irritated sigh.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo**

"Over here!" Uryū pointed to his right. There was a little hole with a ladder going down… _somewhere_.

"That's a long way down..." Ichigo said, peeking over the edge.

"Come on, let's just go. This is the only thing we've seen which could lead us anywhere," Renji walked forward and leaped down the hole, landing on the ground relatively softly.

 ** _\- THUMP!_**

'Relatively'.

"Damn, that hurt!" Everybody had the urge to face-palm as Renji shout echoed up the hole. Nel jumped back onto Ichigo's shoulder as he followed after Renji, but he managed to stop himself from landing as hard as Renji did.

"It's clear!" Ichigo shouted up to the top, and a few moments later, the rest of his group jumped down as well.

"Well, I guess we just keep going…?" Rukia suggested as they all nodded.

"This place must be really old," Ichigo said, as he looked at the cobwebs and cracks all along the hallway.

"Nel thinks Aizen-sama only built Las Noches on twop of thwis basement."

The rest of the group was quiet as they continued walking along. A few minutes later, they saw some flat stone in the shape of a door.

"A door?" Uryū stated while examining the rock. "I suspect beyond this, there is some kind of more modern place. We should be cautious."

"Step aside, everyone," Ichigo said, unsheathing Excalibur and firing a nameless Reiatsu Burst, destroying the door completely.

Behind the stone was a staircase, which looked much cleaner.

"What the hell, Ichigo! Did I not just say we should be cautious!" Uryū yelled.

"That is exactly why I did that," Ichigo answered, calmly sheathing Excalibur back.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked.

"This is Aizen's place, right? How can we be so sure there's no ridiculously strong guard behind this door, waiting to attack us when we open it carefully? I'd rather blow this thing to smithereens and catch them unaware," Ichigo explained.

"Well, when you put it that way… You have a point," Renji admitted.

However, what awaited them wasn't any opponent or even a single corridor.

Instead, there were five.

Just like in the games Ichigo's school friends were fond of playing, there were 5 opened doors, decorated with burning torches placed above them.

"Forcing us to split up, huh?" Ichigo asked out loud.

Now, they're stuck between a roch and a hard place. Splitting up would allow them to cover more ground and potentially find Orihime quicker, but they'd be easy pickings by the Arrancars – or even Espadas – Aizen had loitering around. To stick together meant prioritizing quality over quantity, as they could band together to keep each other safe, but they'd move much slower.

"We should spilt and look for Orihime quickly." Rukia said.

"No, I think we should all just go together. Let's head right into the middle door," Ichigo spoke up, slightly surprising the others. "You all saw how big this place is; if we head left or right and end up lost, we might never find Orihime."

Having saw the entire palace from afar, they concluded that like most classic situations, the 'princess' – Orihime – should be kept near the centre, where Aizen's ego and caution both worked together to keep her – and to an extent, _him_ – as far away from any intruders as possible.

Predictably, Nel's mental age made the plan go rough, as she suddenly started running around, thinking the 'eternal tag' had started.

"The plan is going along splendidly," Uryū sarcastically said, as Ichigo caught her after some time with both Shunpō and Sonido.

The orange-haired boy grimaced, smacking Nel once in her buttocks as punishment, eliciting a small yelp… but there's _something_ above… and behind?

The group turned around and looked up, where an Arrancar was sitting.

"You niños and niñas took your time."

The Arrancar was dressed in the usual white Arrancar outfit, with a mask covering his forehead. He leaped forward and landed in front of them, blocking the way forward.

Renji stepped forward with his hand on his Zanpakutō. "Let's skip the introductions and get right to swinging swords, shall we?" He tilted his head slightly backwards, addressing his team. "Go on. I got this."

The situation meant they couldn't afford to bicker, and thus they all passed Renji, giving him encouraging slaps to the back as they did.

"Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of the 6th Division!"

"Dordoni Alessandro, I am Arrancar 103!"

Their names echoed around as the rest of the intruders dashed forward, meeting no resistance from the Spanish-speaking Arrancar.

"I thought for sure you would try to stop them," Renji said to him.

"You were the first to accept my challenge, and I will go after them once I deal with you, niño!" Dordoni jumped forward, grinning, as he swung his sword down.

Renji jumped backwards to avoid the strike, then he jumped right back towards his opponent for a counter downswing, but missed. Dordoni leaned to the side, avoiding it while smirking, before twisting his body around and kicking Renji in the gut, sending him backwards.

Renji skidded across the floor, placing a hand over his gut with a grunt. "Tch, bastard… **Roar, Zabimaru!** " His Zanpakutō glowed red with spirit energy, morphing into the extendable saw-like blade.

The snake-like sword extended towards the Arrancar's smirking face quickly, though he managed to use his own still-sealed sword to deflect it upwards. However, much to his surprise, the sawed edge suddenly curved upwards as Renji manipulated it from where he was standing, circling around to attack Dordoni in the back.

Fortunately, Dordoni quickly leaped into the air as the saw passed below his feet, and the blade retracted back into its non-extended form. Both warriors stood across from each other with their blades drawn.

"You're fast, Arrancar."

"I could say the same about you, niño."

* * *

 **With the rest of the team…**

"Will thwat guy be ok?" Nel said, concerned, as the rest of the group continued running down the hallway.

"He'll be fine. Renji knows better than to lose to a guy like that," Ichigo pointed out.

Right up ahead, the hallway split off into two. _'This is not good… we might have to actually split up here,'_ Ichigo thought.

 ** _"I don't think Renji would know which way to head down… we've lost him,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"At least if we split up, he has a chance of running into one of us,"_** Altria said.

"So… who's going where?" Uryū said, pushing up his glasses.

"I think you, Chad, and Rukia should down the right, while I, my Zanpakutō spirits, and Nel's group head down this one," Ichigo pointed to the left pathway.

Rukia looked a little hesitant, while Uryū instantly nodded. "Let's go, Rukia. We can't waste any more time. Ichigo, try to not get yourself killed, I would hate to have to find another sparring partner!"

Ichigo smirked at the forced joke. "Same goes for you. I don't want to find someone else to repair my shirt!"

"Let's go Uryū, Chad." Rukia said as she gave Ichigo a small smile then started jogging down the other pathway. Uryū slowly nodded to Ichigo as he turned and followed her.

"Well!? Let's go!" Peche yelled out at he started heading down the left door. Ichigo was about to yell at him until Nel and Dondochakka started running after him.

 **"I am regretting about the time when we allowed them to come with us."** Altria said as she sighed.

 **"They really are free spirits despite being hollows."** Artoria said.

"You are right." Ichigo said as he and girls started running after the three Arrancars.

* * *

 **With Renji…**

"Rah!" Renji screamed out, lashing out again with his whip-saw. The blade continued to curve downwards, threatening to slash Dordoni in half.

The Arrancar swung his Zanpakutō to the right, as the attack clashed with his own sword.

"You have to better then that, niño!" Dordoni yelled out, pushing the blade away. He blasted towards Renji with a fit of Sonido, who tried to dodge, but was a nick too slow, earning a grazed to his thigh.

Thinking quickly, Renji pointed Zabimaru's edge underneath his arm backwards, shooting it towards Dordoni. The saw ran right over Dordoni's shoulder, lodging itself inside his skin and drawing blood, especially after Renji tugged on it and tearing a good chuck of flesh out.

"Tough bastard," Renji muttered out, seeing the Arrancar shrugging off the pain.

"We are just getting started, niño," Dordoni smirked, as Renji sensed the Arrancar's spiritual energy rising up, **"Whirl, Giralda!**

As usual, the torrent of energy kicked up a lot of dust, but the experienced Renji simply swiped Zabimaru into the dust storm, hoping to catch the Arrancar unaware. As predicted, though, it didn't work – as it dissipated, revealing the changes happening on his appearance. Dordoni's forehead mask grew larger and wind seemed to spew out of his ankles.

"If your taking this seriously, then I should to," Renji grinned, as his sword glowed once again. **"Bankai! Hihio Zabimaru!"** A familiar red fur encircled itself around his body, emanating the power of the Bankai. "Round 2, ya' bastard!"

A tunnel of wind spiralled towards Renji, but it was easily swallowed by Hihio Zabimaru's large maw and incredible momentum, punching through with such speed Dordoni was forced to dodge largely to one side.

 **"Hikotsu Taiho!"** Renji shouted as the snake's mouth opened wide, shooting a thick red energy towards him, hitting him right on the torso.

It was enough to burn and smash his body at the same time, sending him into the blissful blackness of unconsciousness.

Renji stared at the Arrancar for a few moments, until he retracted his Bankai and took a look at his wounds. His leg stung a bit, but he would be fine. "Now, I have to catch up," Renji grumbled out, running further down the hallway.

Seconds later, he arrived at the split pathways. "Well, shit… guess I'll have to take a gamble. This place is frickin' _massive!_ " Renji complained, taking off towards the left.

* * *

 **With Ichigo's Group…**

 **"Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?"** Altria growled out, as the three Arrancars cowered behind her aura.

"We're sorry! We just got excited!" All three of the Arrancars said in-sync, as Altria scowled and started walking forward.

"Just don't run off; we're in a massive place filled with other Arrancars," Ichigo let out a sigh as he instructed them.

The Arrancars started following Ichigo, as he jogged through the hallway. So far, they haven't seen any doors or branch-offs. It was just one long hallway with nothing inside.

 **"I think I'm going to go crazy if this keeps going on. I want to fight somebody!"** Altria said, holding up a fist.

"We'll eventually run into somebody," Ichigo said, rolling his eyes.

The group continued running down the hall, until Ichigo saw a small opening near the end.

"Finally! A doorway!" Nel exclaimed, as the group ran faster towards the door.

They were blinded at the end of the path, as blue skies covered wherever they could look, much to their confusion. Wasn't this Las Noches in the middle of a desert, under Hueco Mundo's eternal night? Was this some kind of Aizen's illusion?

"Been waiting for you, Shinigami," Grimmjow greeted them, sitting on a rock to their left.

Ichigo noted, _'Oh, he's still pissed…'_

* * *

 **With Uryū, Chad, and Rukia…**

Chad, Uryū, and Rukia were quiet as they ran through the hallway. The path seemed endless, until the Quincy squinted his eyes slightly at a ray of light. "We;re almost there, you two! I see a light!"

The three of them continued running, and just as they burst through the light, they saw... a sky.

"W-What? What is this place?" Rukia stuttered as she looked around. It had a blue sky like the world of the living, and seemed to go on forever!

"This is the inside of Las Noches."

They quickly snapped their heads to the left, seeing somebody in a white suit with a thin white helmet on, and a high collar surrounding both sides and the back of his head. The trio immediately raised their guard, but the Arrancar slowly raised his arms in posture of surrender.

"I'm no danger to you. Come this way," Aaroniero said, turning around and walking towards the smaller building behind him.

Uryū looked sceptical, ready for battle, and Rukia was a little apprehensive, having put her hand on the hilt of her Zanpakutō. Still, they slowly walked behind the Arrancar.

 _Very_ slowly.

The sun outside was no longer shining, hidden by the dark building. It's quite open with only a few ledges, and the rest was open ground. Uryū searched for the Arrancar's spiritual energy, as he had somehow slithered into the darkness, and looked up to see him standing on a ledge.

" **Sorry, but I cannot stand the sunlight.** _Allow me to show you who I am_." The voice swapped from a deeper voice to a lighter, child-like voice. A tanned hand slowly raised up to uncover his face.

"I am Aaroniero Arruruerie, also known as Espada number nine."

The voice sounded oddly familiar to Rukia, and as the figure lifted the mask and the face beneath it, she gasped.

 _'Kaien Shiba…?!'_

* * *

 **With Ichigo's Group…**

Artoria and Altria were standing in the side lines with the three Arrancars, silently watching the battle between Ichigo and Grimmjow.

Sparks flew out of the battlefield, as their blades clashed again and again. Sword met sword, over and over. "Rah!" They both screamed out when they separated, before clashing once again. The sand and rocks below them were blown away by the force of the attack, making a massive crater.

"Where is Orihime?" Ichigo growled out, as he pushed more force into his attack, sending Grimmjow down to the sand below him.

"This battle," Grimmjow said, ignoring Ichigo's question. "isn't at the level I want it to be; let's kick it up a notch!" He slid his palm across the sharpened edge of his sword, drawing blood from his palm.

Ichigo noticed the spike in spirit energy as soon as blue energy started to crackle around Grimmjow's palm.

"This is the cero only us Espadas can use. You might want to block this, unless you want those weaklings behind you to die!" Grimmjow grinned as Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

 _''Weaklings'? The three Arrancars, maybe… but my women? Don't think you have a chance in hell, fool…'_ He silently commented, preparing his own spiritual energy as a counter.

 **"GRAN REY CERO!"**

The rush of blue energy was met by a massive amount of golden and black Reiatsu. The three Arrancars behind Ichigo took cover behind a few rocks as the massive amount of energy exploded, kicking up a massive smoke cloud to surround everyone present.

"Itsygo…" Nel sadly said, clearly, worried… then the explosion cleared out.

 **"No need to worry; he is fine,"** Artoria said.

"R-Really?"

 **"Of course! He is far stronger than that house cat,"** Altria mocked.

\- Swish!

A thin black-gold line dissipated the dust cover, revealing Grimmjow's Resurrección under his yell, " **Grind Pantera!** "

Satisfied by the spike in power, Grimmjow raised his head into the sky and let out a massive roar, filled with power and energy. Ichigo stood unfazed, but he narrowed his gaze.

 _'All that from just a shockwave?'_ Ichigo questioned to himself.

Ichigo continued to stare down Grimmjow as he saw Grimmjow's muscles tense in preparation for an attack. Just then, the Espada bent his knees, then leaped into the air towards Ichigo like a stream of light.

His increased speed did shock Ichigo, though not enough to make him flustered. He did twist his head quickly to one side, avoiding a flying kick to the face, though he had the composure to send Excalibur in a similar speed to force Grimmjow to back off.

Grimmjow easily dodged that, and the follow-up from Morgan too, jumping back with even greater agility. He clearly wasn't happy with his movement, though, as two cuts on his side and chest opened up, respectively.

However, the anger merely turned into a nasty snarl, on his face as he lunged again towards Ichigo.

Sparks flew over the battlefield as they clashed over and over, without moving more than five feet away, both relying on their reflexes instead of outright top speed to engage in close quarters. Ichigo jumped backwards to dodge the jab heading for his face, quickly countering with his own strike. Grimmjow was about to jump back in and attack, but just like in his battle with Kurosaki's Shikai in the past, his body froze up.

Grimmjow lifted his clawed foot and turned backwards to try and slash at Ichigo, who had appeared behind him. The attack caught the hybrid slightly off-guard, not expecting Grimmjow to be able to react to his position.

The Espada's foot was about to gouge Ichigo's side and would have sent him flying into one of the scattered red pillars around the area, but he sheathed Morgan and chanted rapidly, **"** **Become the paradise of darkness no man can set forth in,** **Vortigern!"**

Forming a ball of black Reiatsu, Vortigern smoothly absorbed Grimmjow's kick and fired it back on him even stronger, causing him to cough blood. He felt his Resurrección forcibly deactivate, turning back into his regular sword.

Before he could digest the surprise, Grimmjow's face hit the bottom of the crater from Ichigo's punch, knocked out cold, or dead. The orange-haired boy certainly didn't care both ways – daring to attack innocents behind him meant his opponents must be ready for the consequences.

When he returned to his group, after deactivating everything, he was quickly greeted by Nel's headbutt-slash-hug to his belly. "Itsygo! I thwought you were gunna' die!"

She was saying that with tears in her eyes. Ichigo's face softened up – having swallowed his pained grunt – as he looked at her. "Nel, I'm alright, I wouldn't die to that guy any day."

Nel continued to hold onto Ichigo as the other two Arrancars peaked their heads out from the debris around them.

"Did that weirdo beat that other weirdo?" Peche whispered to Dondachokka even though everyone heard him including Ichigo whose eyebrow was twitching.

"I can hear you two!" Ichigo yelled out as Artoria, Altria and Nel started to laugh and the two Arrancar went slightly pale.

"Whatever, come on let's go. I want to find Orihime as soon as possible. I doubt she likes being locked up right now." Ichigo said just as Ichigo heard an explosion in the background.

* * *

 **With Uryū, Chad and Rukia…**

"K-Kaien-dono!" Rukia stuttered out, as the 9th Espada removed his mask.

Uryū squinted his eyes in suspicion as soon as he saw her reaction. _'Espada number 9? Rukia knows who he is… and why does he look so similar to Ichigo?'_

He pushed aside his questions as he watched the Espada intently, who jumped down from his ledge and onto the ground. Rukia felt her heart and mind clash against each other, as her mind told her this was Kaien, yet her heart was saying otherwise.

"Rukia, who is that?" Uryū looked at her, as Rukia shook her head.

"H-He looks just like Kaien-dono…! He used to be the lieutenant of the 13th Squad, until..." Rukia stopped there as she thought back to that day Kaien was taken over by a Hollow.

"He was taken over by a Hollow, and then… he died," Aaroniero finished for her, smirking, as Rukia flinched. "Yeah, I was there. I _remember_. You stabbed me with-" Aaroniero was cut off when a blue arrow soared past his face.

The Espada grinned as he turned back to the Quincy.

"Sorry, Rukia. I'm not Ichigo – sentimentality doesn't have a place right here and now," Uryū coldly said. "I don't know your past… and I certainly don't care to hear it now. He's standing in our way – hence, an enemy."

Readying another arrow, he instructed, "Chad, stay behind. You are more suited for close quarter combat, so if something happens, then help us."

"I had a whole plan set up for little Rukia here… but I didn't plan for you to show up, Quincy and Human. So I guess time for charades is over," Aaroniero said with a clearly fake innocent tone, gripping his sword. "Now, let's see if this jogs your memory, Rukia!"

Aaroniero twisted his sword like a staff. **"Rage through the Sea and Heavens, Nejibana!"** The sword glowed yellow, and a few seconds later, it transformed into a trident, as water flew around him. Rukia's eyes widened as she thought back to her mentor… and her battles with him.

"Brings back old memories, eh, Rukia?" Aaroniero taunted, jumping to dodge another arrow.

Uryū jumped into the air and used Hirenkyaku to flash around the battlefield and fire from every direction, shouting, _"Snap out of it, Kuchiki!"_

Aaroniero scoffed, swirling water around him to blow away the arrows. Uryū moved back over to Rukia, who was still standing around. "Rukia, this isn't the time. We have to beat him!" He yelled at her.

Rukia's eyes widened, as she steeled her resolve.

This was _not_ Kaien.

 **"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"** Rukia yelled out, as her sword turned pale white with a long white ribbon attached to the hilt.

"I know all of your tricks Rukia, I helped you develop your 'dances', after all!" Aaroniero yelled out as he summoned a wave of water to attack her.

 **"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!"** Rukia yelled out as a massive avalanche of snow was manifested to counter the water. Uryū quickly followed up behind Rukia and shot arrows at Aaroniero's unprotected back. The Espada quickly jumped into the air to avoid the arrows.

"Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six, Bakudo #61: Rikujōkōrō!" Rukia chanted rapidly, as 6 light bars slammed into Aaroniero's gut, stopping him cold.

Uryū wasted no time following up, already gathering Reishi into his bow.

 **"Licht Regen!"** Uryū shouted out, as thousands of arrows were fired from his bow towards the surprised Aaroniero.

As soon as the arrows collided, an explosion was created from the arrows, as the Quincy regrouped with Rukia. "He's still alive…" Uryū gritted out, as Rukia nodded.

The smoke cleared, showing Aaroniero with very little injuries on himself. However, Kaien's face was no longer visible, replaced by a long glass tube containing 2 little balls with faces on them.

 **"Your light**... it burns!" Aaroniero said, slightly pained as Uryū narrowed his eyes.

"A doppelganger ability? I see… Lieutenant Shiba must be devoured by some weaker Hollow, which in turn was devoured by you!" Uryū theorized. "Rukia, he's merely gained his memories and abilities."

Continuing, he revealed, "You should know Hollows are poisonous to Quincys, but you should also know the opposite is true… which is possibly Lietuenant Shiba's face _melted off_ right after I shot at you!"

The Espada snarled at him, making Rukia turn around with admiration at the Quincy's analysis. It definitely made sense.

"You are **both finished…!"** Aaroniero muttered with his warped voices. **"Devour** them, **Glotonería!"**

Massive purple limbs bloomed explosively from below the Espada, until it honestly looked like a giant purple blob.

"I have devoured **over 30 thousand Hollows,** and every single time, **I gain its memories and abilities.** So, as you stand in front of me now **, you are standing up against an army** of over 30 thousand Hollows!" Aaroniero proudly said, still with its warped voice.

Uryū quickly thought up of a plan as he quickly turned to Rukia. "Find a way to immobilize him for just a moment," he said quietly, as Rukia nodded. Uryū quickly jumped into the air and readied his bow.

It's time she tested out her new 'dance'.

Rukia twisted her wrist until her blade pointed towards the ground, with the ribbon following in a beautiful circle. She then quickly stabbed, as she looked up at the Espada.

The room became icy cold as she muttered out the name of her new dance.

 **"Saigo no mai, Nadare."**

The floor suddenly turned to ice, spreading out from where Rukia stabbed her Zanpakutō into the ground. The very next moment, the entire floor of the building was turned into ice… but that wasn't all.

Aaroniero's eyes quickly widened as snow suddenly started to fly upwards from the iced floor, as if gravity was reversed.

 **"Furīzu,"** Rukia coldly declared, as the floating snow suddenly shot towards the massive Aaroniero. As soon as it touched him, it started to freeze the Espada alive, encasing him a cold coffin.

Rukia slowly panted, and Uryū took this opportunity with open arms.

Three arrows were shot, followed by three small capsules. The ice was starting to crack – a sign of the difference between Rukia's and Aaroniero's raw power – but the momentary delay was enough.

The Seele Schneiders inside the capsules exploded in arrays of light when the arrows hit them dead-on, activating a pentagon-shaped seal around Aaroniero.

 **"Sprenger."**

 **"No, no,** no, no,no **NO NO** NO NO!" Aaroniero pleaded, as he was quickly engulfed in the Sprenger light.

Soon, Aaroniero was no more.

* * *

 **With Renji…**

 _'I'm gonna kill Aizen, I'm gonna kill Aizen, I'm-'_ Renji chanted in his head while walking down the endless hallways of twists and turns. He continued to vent his anger out in his mind while cursing the ex-captain to the depths of hell for creating such an evil thing!

It was hard enough navigating the Seireitei!

Renji took another turn and started running down the hallway with Zabimaru at his side.

Suddenly, he veered sharp to his left, down another hallway, where he thought he sensed 3 Reiatsu signatures.

Ichigo and his Zanpakuto spirits.

Renji quickly used Shunpo to try and catch them. He turned down another hallway, and when he saw a big hole in the wall, he quickly jumped through it and flashed towards Ichigo and the girls, who were slightly outpacing him.

 _'Damn, Ichigo has gotten fast!'_ Renji thought to himself, smirking at the challenge, as he too sped up and closed in on them. "Yo! Ichigo!"

Ichigo and others stopped for a moment and then turned around to meet the red pineapple himself.

"Renji?" Ichigo questioned. Renji flashed over to Ichigo and others.

"Yeah I'm here. I finished fighting that Dordoni guy, tough bastard though." Renji said while dusting off his outfit while Ichigo nodded his head.

"Alright then, we are on our way to Orihime's signature. After we find her, we grab Uryū, Chad and Rukia then we go back to the world of the living." Ichigo explained to Renji who nodded as they went towards Orihime.

* * *

 **With Uryū, Chad and Rukia…**

"All you alright Rukia?" Uryū said, concerned and with a raised eyebrow, as Rukia picked herself up off the ground.

"Yeah, I should be fine. Thanks," Rukia said as she stood up. "Also… thanks for the wake-up call earlier."

The Quincy just shrugged, allowing Chad to say, "We should leave now."

"Right. No doubt that fight will attract other Arrancars here. We are in no condition to fight another Espada, especially if that was the weakest Espada," Uryū decided, and summarily shot an arrow towards the wall, blowing a big hole to create an exit.

"Let's go find Ichigo. From what I sensed, Renji is with Ichigo. They aren't too far away," Uryū said, using Hirenkyaku to dash through the hole, intent on catching up to the three ahead of him.

Rukia and Chad followed soon after.

* * *

 **With Ichigo's Group…**

Having regrouped, they could now rush straight towards Orihime's location. Their forays did result in one of them picking up Orihime's Reiatsu signature, enabling them to have a clear goal, at the very least.

Down several more hallways, her signature was getting stronger and stronger, until Rukia yelled out, "To the right!"

The group soon saw Orihime sitting on a couch in a small cell, who dropped the thing she's interested in and slammed her hands onto the bars.

"Orihime…" Ichigo called her, as she looked like she was about to cry.

"I-Ichigo…" Orihime brought her hand to her face, covering her mouth.

"Are you all right?" Rukia asked.

"I-I am fine, Rukia."

Slashing open the cell bars with Excalibur, they swiftly made their way out of Las Noches. They planned on a risky strategy: sprint at full speed – with Ichigo and Uryū, as the fastest, carrying some of them if they had to – then board the giant Hollow worm towards their planned exit point.

They were currently at the place where Ichigo fought Grimmjow, but suddenly stopped when they felt a Garganta being opened nearby. Their worries of incoming enemies were unfounded, however, seeing Byakuya, Retsu, Kenpachi, Mayuri, Isane, Hanataro, Yachiru and Nemu coming forth towards them.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I see you have rescued Orihime Inoue," Byakuya said emotionlessly.

"I know you love pleasantries, Byakuya Kuchiki, but let's all jump into the Garganta and catch up on the way!" Ichigo urged, already moving towards the opening, much to the other captains' amusement at Byakuya's twitching eyebrows.

However, the small pause was enough for the Espadas to catch up. Shortly after that, they all felt strong Hollow Reiatsu coming towards them, where Ulquiorra, Zommari, Nnoitra and Szayelaporro, along with an Arrancar with a bull-shaped skull were rushing.

 **"We should have expected they won't let us leave just like that,"** Artoria said.

"It does not matter; we will finish then and then leave," Byakuya said.

Soon, the bull-shaped Arrancar pulled out his Zanpakutō. " **Grow Árbol!"** The right side of his body wrapped, splintering into branches, reaching down to his waist. Skulls soon formed on their tips, transforming grotesquely, before Arrancars popped down from each of the 'skull fruits'.

"D-Did that guy just created Arrancars just like that?" Renji couldn't believe at what he was seeing.

Ichigo's mind was already forming a plan.

"Captain Unohana should stay at the rear, while Rukia, Uryū, Chad, Renji… you take care of that tree guy and his boys!" He instructed. "The rest of us… just pick an Espada you like and hit them hard!"

"I'll assist Captain Unohana!" Orihime took the initiative, pulling Nel and her 'brothers' to one side as well.

Seeing nothing wrong with that plan, all of them silently agreed. Byakuya went to Zommari, Kenpachi went to Nnoitra, and Mayuri went to Szayelaporro. It left Ichigo and Ulquiorra staring at each other, not making any first moves.

"You were the one who kidnapped Orihime, weren't you?" Ichigo asked.

"And what if I am?" Ulquiorra said calmly. "And I was merely picking her up for Aizen-sama's invitation. I did not 'kidnap' her."

"Then let's see what you are capable of!"

His words served as a starting gun, as both men shot off high into the sky, with Ichigo's twin Zanpakutõ spirits following suit. They got to the point where they had to break through Las Noches fake sky, smashing a portion to let the true night sky appear.

"So the blue sky really was fake…" Ichigo muttered.

"That is right," Ulquiorra answered, standing on a pillar with his sword on his hand. "Under Aizen-sama's order, two things are forbidden inside the Las Noches. The first is the use of Gran Rey Cero, which only exists for the Espadas. And the second… is the Resurrección of the Espadas numbered 4 and higher. They are so powerful, that if released, they would threaten to destroy the entire Las Noches."

Ulquiorra brought his sword forward, forcing Ichigo and the girls to be on guard.

 **"Imprison Murciélago"**

* * *

 ** _Next Time: Different Vizard and Different Arrancar_**

 ** _See you all later_**


	8. Different Vizard and Different Arrancar

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester: ekaterina016_**

* * *

 **Recap:** _"D-Did that guy just created Arrancars just like that?" Renji couldn't believe at what he was seeing._

 _Ichigo's mind was already forming a plan._

 _"Captain Unohana should stay at the rear, while Rukia, Uryū, Chad, Renji… you take care of that tree guy and his boys!" He instructed. "The rest of us… just pick an Espada you like and hit them hard!"_

 _"I'll assist Captain Unohana!" Orihime took the initiative, pulling Nel and her 'brothers' to one side as well._

 _Seeing nothing wrong with that plan, all of them silently agreed. Byakuya went to Zommari, Kenpachi went to Nnoitra, and Mayuri went to Szayelaporro. It left Ichigo and Ulquiorra staring at each other, not making any first moves._

 _"You were the one who kidnapped Orihime, weren't you?" Ichigo asked._

 _"And what if I am?" Ulquiorra said, calmly. "And I was merely picking her up for Aizen-sama's invitation. I did not 'kidnap' her."_

 _"Then let's see what you are capable of!"_

 _His words served as a starting gun, as both men shot off high into the sky, with Ichigo's twin Zanpakutõ spirits following suit. They got to the point where they had to break through Las Noches fake sky, smashing a portion to let the true night sky appear._

 _"So, the blue sky really was fake…" Ichigo muttered._

 _"That is right," Ulquiorra answered, standing on a pillar with his sword on his hand. "Under Aizen-sama's order, two things are forbidden inside the Las Noches. The first is the use of Gran Rey Cero, which only exists for the Espadas. And the second… is the Resurrección of the Espadas numbered 4 and higher. They are so powerful, that if released, they would threaten to destroy the entire Las Noches."_

 _Ulquiorra brought his sword forward, forcing Ichigo and the girls to be on guard._

 ** _"Imprison, Murciélago!"_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 8:_** ** _Different Vizard and Different Arrancar_**

* * *

Dark green Reiatsu enveloped Ulquiorra as soon as he chanted his Zanpakutõ release, evaporating the water content in the air into rain falling on Ichigo and the girls.

 **"His Reiatsu is… It's… I-It's…"** Artoria couldn't even find any words for it.

 **"It is emitting the feeling of complete emptiness… like he has _nothing_ in his life,"** Altria answered emotionlessly.

"He himself is nothing but an empty shell…" Ichigo lamented.

When the Reiatsu dissipated, it revealed Ulquiorra's new bestial form, where large, black bat wings forming on his back, his hair had grown longer and wilder, and the remains of his Hollow mask centred atop his head, with two large horns extending outward to the sides towards the front. The lines on his face became black, broader, and more triangular, and his fingernails had lengthen. His attire became more form fitting and closed at the top, becoming more like a robe towards the bottom.

 **"He is powerful. I can certainly say he is more powerful than anyone we have faced till now,"** Artoria said, to his partners.

 **"He makes even the likes of Byakuya and Grimmjow looks like new-borns,"** Altria said.

Ichigo stayed silent as he looked at Ulquiorra. "Artoria, Altria… let me handle him on my own," he said calmly.

 **"What are you saying?! Did you not just heard what we just said?!"** Artoria yelled.

"Please, Artoria…! I can't explain the reason… but I must face him on my own," He pleaded seriously. Artoria was about to yell at him again, but was cut off by her twin.

 **"Are you sure about this, Ichigo?"** Altria asked.

 **"What are you saying, Altria?! Are you just let him face that Hollow on his own?!"**

 **"Yes. Let him fight on his own, Artoria,"** she replied calmly.

 **"But why?! There's no need to…"** Artoria asked, trying to fathom why Ichigo wanted to fight alone.

 **"Trust, I think? Also, the Hollow part in me was resonating strangely with the two of them,"** Altria casually shrugged. **"That's why, I guess…"**

Artoria grumbled quietly for a while, before sighing and glaring at her boyfriend. Artoria sighed. **"Very well, then… you can face him alone, but you must promise me one thing."**

He felt he knew the answer to his incoming question, but he decided to ask anyway, "What's that?"

Artoria looked him in the eye. **"Promise you will not lose… and you will come back to us."**

Ichigo smiled softly, caressing the right side of her face. "I think that's a given, no? I promise… to the two of you" He then gently kissed her on the lips.

 **"Make sure to use _that_ if it becomes necessary,"** Altria warned, earning her a kiss just like her twin.

"Are you finished now?" Ulquiorra asked, genuinely confused and bored at the display of affection in front of him.

Ichigo stepped forward and looked at him. "Yes, I am. Sorry to make you wait, Ulquiorra."

"Prepare yourself, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Acting on instinct, Ichigo raised Excalibur _just_ in time to block his opponent, who had seemingly materialized a light spear on his right hand. Wasting no time, the empowered hybrid lunged out with Reiatsu Burst and Invisible Air, powering up Morgan. "Reiatsu Burst!"

To Ichigo's surprise, the attack connected firmly against Ulquiorra. ' _He should have been able to evade that; given the speed he has!'_ if it's not speed, then he predicted the Hollow was simply confident of his durability – which was what happened, as Ulquiorra reappeared, completely unharmed.

"Your attacks cannot hurt me," Ulquiorra said calmly, confirming Ichigo's doubt. "How does that make you feel?"

"Not much. You're holding back; so am I," He plainly said while charging up power in Excalibur and Morgan.

"Ah… so you can tell I am holding back. You are very different from rest of the human trash," The bat-like Espada murmured, recalling his first encounter with Ichigo.

"Why do you follow Aizen? Do you need something from him?" Ichigo asked, palming his lance, trying to understand Ulquiorra's motives

"I have nothing I need from him. I don't need _anything_ ," Ulquiorra stated, and continued to attack Ichigo.

"Have you never wished for joy or happiness?" Ichigo asked, as Ulquiorra's attacks became faster than before.

"Ridiculous. Why would I ask for something so pointless?"

"Really…? What is so pointless in finding happiness?" Ichigo asked, as Ulquiorra suddenly slowed down a little.

"It's…" For the first time in his life, Ulquiorra was speechless, which was quickly taken advantage of by Ichigo.

"You seek happiness, but have never found it… haven't you?" He asked, looking Ulquiorra right in the eyes, who finally stopped attacking Ichigo and stood still. "And I know the exact reason why."

"You know… why?" Ulquiorra asked, his eyes widening.

"You do not have a heart, so you don't know its strength. But you also don't have any feelings. You are truly a pitiful man," Ichigo said sadly and pitifully.

In a flash, Ulquiorra was in front of Ichigo, who raised his sword to block the attack _just_ in time, which would have cut off his head. "You are just like _that woman_ … You and her both say that about the heart. Just what is this 'heart' anyway?" Ulquiorra asked coldly, referring to Orihime.

"Then allow me to show you the strength of a heart," Ichigo declared, as he pushed Ulquiorra back and fired a Reiatsu Burst again. But like before, it had no effect.

Artoria, who was watching the battle from a safe distance with Altria, narrowed her eyes. **"He is really strong. Even if Ichigo didn't evoke the Reiatsu Burst's true name, but he is already in Shikai…!"**

 **"Definitely a strong opponent which cannot be taken lightly,"** Altria agreed.

"You are quite strong… more than many high-level Hollows. But your power is not sufficient to harm me at this level," Ulquiorra said.

"If I can't harm you at this level, then all I have to do is raise it, no?" Ichigo brought his right hand on his face and materialised his Hollow mask, giving himself a very big power boost.

 **"So, he has to resort to using his Hollow powers…"** Artoria said.

 **"There is no one except us, Ichigo, and that Espada, so it is safe to use; besides, he will need all the power he has,"** Altria conceded.

 _'So, he really is like those Vizards whom Aizan-sama had mentioned…'_ Ulquiorra thought, as he looked at Ichigo's Hollow mask.

Before the Reiatsu spike could subside, Excalibur and Morgan were already launching themselves in his hands against Ulquiorra's light spears, both swords raging with near-uncontrollable levels of Reiatsu Burst. They did manage to consistently break the Quarta Espada's weapons, but the latter was simply too quick for him to land a decisive blow.

 **"Hold still!"** He demanded in frustration, slashing and releasing a silent Reiatsu Burst.

"Now, why would I do that?" The Arrancar asked him tonelessly, as he once more used his Sonido technique to vanish and reappear a distance away, out of range of the Reiatsu Burst. "I have no wish to die just yet."

Ichigo lunged at him, frustrated, as he witnessed Ulquiorra's minor wound he'd landed on one on his arm, just a minute ago, closed up at a speed comparable to his own regenerative abilities. That was problem number two: Ulquiorra, too, had high-speed regeneration and just as insane levels of Reiatsu as Ichigo had, which meant minor wounds meant nothing, and major wounds were only temporary. _'I need to cut off his head, or something equally fatal!'_

He flew towards Ulquiorra as quickly as he could, but he had to dodge the Arrancar's own attacks; he had a tendency of firing a mixture of teal-colored Ceros and energy javelins at the 'Vizard'. While Ichigo was certain he could relatively easily withstand a Cero, he'd already gotten cut by the javelin before, and Ulquiorra was extremely good at hiding the spears within a Cero. That ability happened to be problem number three.

 _'He is way too strong, experienced, and varied… I have no choice but to use my Bankai now…!'_

"Is that it? Is that all the strength of your heart could muster?" Ulquiorra snorted.

Ichigo didn't answer him, simply bringing his hand to his face to deactivate the mask. He brought his swords forward, putting one above another.

 **"BANKAI…! Rhongomyniad!"** Ichigo declared, looking at Ulquiorra in his Bankai form, which was also copied on the twins' appearance.

"So, this is your Bankai…?" Ulquiorra said calmly, which changed quickly when he saw Ichigo's speed.

 _It's fast._

The 'Vizard' had already appeared behind him by the time Ulquiorra managed to react. Only pure luck and instinct placed his light spear in a position to block the incoming white lance, but even then, Ichigo's strength was enough to blast him a considerable distance away.

Artoria and Altria kept looking at the fight in their Bankai form, but their earlier concerns were unnaturally gone. **"The battle will be over soon, now… It seems we were worried for nothing,"** both of them said simultaneously.

Feeling the pressure, the Espada quickly uttered, "…Cero Oscuras!"

Much to his shock, Ichigo used his black lance and easily deflected the Cero, while firing a nameless Reiatsu Burst with his white lance at the same time, which Ulquiorra was barely able to dodge.

"You are unexpectedly strong, and I could very well die in this fight if I do not unleash my true form…! Pray to whatever you believe in, Kurosaki Ichigo; you will not survive this – the form of true despair."

 **"I am getting a really bad feeling about this,"** Artoria said.

 **"Me too,"** Altria said.

"Just what are you talking about?" Ichigo asked.

Without answering, Ulquiorra summoned a level and density of Reiatsu similar to a Bankai activation, enveloping him in his new form. The coat he'd worn in Resurrección had vanished. His Hollow hole had widened somewhat, and was now dripping a black liquid down his front, which was some variant of blood. His waist, legs and arms had covered themselves in fur as black as pitch, and both hands and feet had become more bestial, forming claws and talons respectively. A thin, onyx tail had also grown, He also had long, slightly curved horns which Ulquiorra's mask remnants had morphed into. The Espada's facial markings had elongated as well.

"Resurrección: Segunda Etapa."

 **"A second release!"** Artoria yelled.

 **"Just like I thought, he really is one of the strongest Arrancar there is…!"** Altria said worriedly.

 **"This is no time to complement the enemy, Altria. I can easily feel right now that Espada is nearly as strong as Ichigo!"** Artoria said.

 **"Don't worry… he can use it if something happens,"** Altria said, still far too casual for her twin's liking.

 **"Fine…"** Artoria sighed, frustrated at her sister's laidback attitude.

"Among all the Espadas, I alone have archived a second release form. I have not even shown this form to Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra explained.

"You really are probably… no, you are _certainly_ the strongest Arrancar there is," Ichigo said, as Ulquiorra stayed silent. "But you are not the only one who is hiding their true power."

Ulquiorra now looked at Ichigo like he was crazy, showing a new emotion behind that stoic face.

Ichigo looked at Artoria and Altria, silently asking for permission, as they nodded. Sighing, he re-summoned his Hollow mask, before focusing both of his hands on the black lance… and _stabbing himself in the chest_. Ulquiorra's eyes widened, more from the ridiculous act itself than the fact Ichigo had just laid one of his twin weapons to the ground.

 **"Cry out. It is time to fall to the ground… Tirano!"** Ichigo then was enveloped in black Reiatsu and dust.

After a few seconds, it settled down, revealing the orange-haired boy now clad with a similar dark-coloured armour like Altria. His Hollow mask had transformed into a jagged, horned black crowns, keeping his now-white waist-length hair in place. It framed his now-slitted golden sharp eyes, though his weapons had changed. The white lance had been withdrawn, replaced with Morgan's Shikai form alongside the black lance, accompanied by its scabbard on his hip.

"You can't be Ichigo Kurosaki?" Ulquiorra asked monotonously, walking towards him and examining him up and down, "How have you taken this form? Who are you?"

Given the similarity between Ichigo's new form and his own, it's a valid question, but the boy just looked at him with a bored look. "You are nothing but a lowly Hollow, yet you dare ask me who I am!?"

"…!" Ulquiorra's eyes widened when Ichigo swung Morgan at him.

"Die, you fool!" The ground exploded from his monstrous swing.

Ulquiorra was disinterested by his strength, more with his current appearance. "I asked once again: Who are you?"

Ichigo's body glowed in black, answering curtly, "Do not make me repeat myself."

"I see you refuse to answer me." Ulquiorra pointed his index finger and fired his Cero at Ichigo, but the latter brought Rhongomyniad forward and countered with a black Cero himself. Both energy attacks clashed, struggling for dominance in the confrontation, one over the other… until they exploded into the sky and released a black burning inferno smoke in the aftermath. Both Artoria and Altria on ground were covering theirs eyes from the smoke.

With a flap of his wings, Ulquiorra escaped from the smoke. He uttered with a slight tremor, "Impossible… that was a real Cero, one powerful enough to deflect my Cero Oscuras. This can't be… Despite how much he resembles a Hollow, a mere human cannot shoot a real Cero…!"

As he was contemplating, Ichigo flashed behind him and fired another Cero at him, "Don't underestimate me."

He turned in time and fired back his own Cero to counter it. Both energy clashed once again and exploded, destroying and crumbling the building in the area from destructive attacks.

"He deflected my Cero Oscuras… _twice_ ," The Espada said, while looking around the smoke for Ichigo. The boy reappeared behind him, eyeing Ulquiorra's left side. "You are nothing but a _worm_. You are not worthy to fly in _my_ sky. A filthy worm like you should face the ground crawl in your stomach!"

Ulquiorra turned as quickly as possible to fire another beam at him, but Ichigo brought down Morgan and cut off his left wing and arm. He then kicked Ulquiorra, sending him crashing upon impact into the ground.

The Espada staggered back up, huffing from the attack he received, his left arm bleeding out. With eyes filled in new anger, he refocused his energy to re-grow those missing parts, before floating back into Ichigo's eye level, claiming, "My greatest attribute is not my offensive capabilities, but regeneration.

"Unlike the other Arrancars, who have lost the majority of their regenerative abilities, I saved it at the expense of brute strength. I don't know how you transformed into that, but you'll never defeat me even with your power boost, because you hesitated after just cutting a single arm." He pressed the tip of his thumb and fingers together upside down, produce energy between his palms, until he spread his arms wide open to fire a lance made of green energy. **"Lanza del Relampago!"**

He added, "You should stay where you are. I would prefer not to set this off near me."

"Then let us all see your pitiful attack, _cockroach_ ," Ichigo spat out, as the lance missed Ichigo by an inch. The lance crashed at some distance, and created a very large explosion.

"I missed," Ulquiorra complained nonchalantly. "It truly is hard to control." He constructed another lance like before, but Ichigo merely looked at him with disappointed eyes, then flashes behind him again.

"WHAT?!" Ulquiorra turned to Ichigo. _'He completely slipped through my Pesquisa?! That wasn't Shunpō; that was Sonido!'_

"Your presence is starting to bore me."

Just one casual slash from him forced Ulquiorra to block with his newly-formed green lance, enough to force him skid across the ground from the strength behind it. Before he could even recover, Ichigo had charged downwards at him, kicking him in the head and smashing him into a building near them. Multiple strikes then followed, each breaking parts off the Espada's body, dragging him across the crumbling building before Ichigo finished the flurry with a slash.

In all this, his regenerative abilities were working overtime to catch up, and slowly failing to do so. Frustrated and pressured, he hurriedly formed another Lanza del Relampago and slashed downwards, desperate to create some gap. Ichigo met it with Morgan, deflecting it and creating a shower of sparks.

Increasing his speed, he swung furiously with whatever form his mind had left, but Ichigo parried them all. Flashing behind the boy didn't work either, as he's simply faster than the Espada, kicking him in the back after out-manoeuvring Ulquiorra. They continue this aerial dance of slashing, dodging, and parrying in mid-air, trying get a decisive upper hand at each other.

"You're not getting away!" Ulquiorra tried to charge a Cero, but Ichigo kicked him using the slight delay, directing it at some buildings and destroying them. He was falling, but quickly righted himself in the air before landing on the ground safely, only to see Ichigo firing a nameless Reiatsu Burst at him.

Slowly, but surely, Ichigo's blows began to rattle the Espada, but he managed to spearhead the blow, destroying it before it could hurt him.

The dust kicked up from the last exchange was parted by a sword quickly coming for Ulquiorra's neck, who twisted his head to dodge and backstepped, tossing his green lance as a counter. It was batted away with Morgan, which suddenly switched direction, much to the Espada's disbelief. Before he could comment, though, another nameless Reiatsu Burst was fired at him, now finally connecting.

"RAHHH!"

He screamed in pain – the first time he remembered doing so in his life – but Ichigo capitalized on the chance and cut his entire body diagonally, from his right shoulder to left hip. Everything suddenly felt like slow motion, as Ulquiorra fell to the ground and Ichigo rose back to his full height.

Lying down on the ground, Ulquiorra glared at him. "Curse you... I never imagined I'd lose to a human who could transform into a Hollow…! The very idea is ludicrous! AHH!" He grunted as Ichigo planted his foot at the side of his head, pushing it deep into the ground… before promptly firing a Cero with Rhongomyniad at him point-blank with all the stored Reiatsu in the Vortigern.

"I see… so you'll show no mercy," He uttered weakly, the last vestiges of his healing powers enabling him to survive the shot. "How very Hollow-like of you." He pressed on, "Go ahead… I have no reason to live, now that you've defeated me. Do it!"

Ichigo relented, firing a dome-like Cero, making it explode high into the sky. As the smoke cleared, the boy was standing alone in a crater, with no sign of Ulquiorra, having been completely vaporised by the Cero.

 **"So, Ichigo has won,"** Artoria smiled.

 **"Yes, and if others have finished, we can finally leave this place and go home,"** Altria said, smiling.

They turned to looked at Ichigo, as they heard a snort from him. "In the end, he was nothing more than a weak cockroach," He said, bored, the after-effects of his new powers still influencing his manner of speech. Ichigo sighed. "If I didn't have my Resurrection form, then I would have some problem defeating him."

Saying that, he reverted back to his sealed form.

 **"You still fought like an arrogant jerk, though,"** Artoria commented.

 **"Well, that form _does_ makes him a bit ruthless and arrogant,"** Altria pointed out.

"Much like you?" Ichigo teased.

 **"Hey! I am not arrogant or cruel!"** Altria pouted.

 **"Really?"** "Really?" Ichigo and Artoria said together monotonously.

 **"M-Maybe… just a little bit…?"** Altria looked at her side, sheepish.

When they returned through the hole Ulquiorra made earlier, the majority of the fighting was done, with all the Shinigamis, Chad, Uryu, and Orihime, along with Nel and her friends being treated by the Squad 4. Well, everyone except Mayuri, who was doing something on his cell phone-like thing. They all looked a little roughed up from the battle they had, though.

"Hey, what was that huge black blast?!" Renji asked when he saw them flying down.

"You dare question to your king?!" Ichigo yelled at the red-headed pineapple.

"What?" Renji asked confused at his outburst.

"N-No…nothing. Forge it." Ichigo sleeplessly said. _'The aftereffects of that form is still there…'_

 **"Well… that was one of Ulquiorra's attack,"** Artoria lied, not wanting to tell them about Ichigo's true Hollow powers.

"So, did you win?" Uryū asked.

"Yes, but it was not an easy victory; I had to use my Bankai," Ichigo informed them.

Everyone shuddered at the image flashing up in their minds, knowing Ichigo was one of the strongest people Soul Society had ever known. For him to resort to use Bankai, when even some captains couldn't contend with just his Shikai's true strength, it showed how powerful his opponent was.

"So, how about we leave now?" Ichigo asked.

"That's a good idea… but when you were up there, Aizen had sealed Hueco Mundo and left for Karakura to create the Ōken," Byakuya informed.

 **"And I assume the Shinigamis are there waiting for him,"** Artoria said, as Byakuya nodded.

"You are correct; all the rest of the Captains along with the Captain-level Shinigamis are waiting for him there," Byakuya informed.

"But if there would be a battle with so many Captains and Espadas, the city won't be able to hold on…!" Ichigo said.

"And that is where Squad 12 comes in," Renji said. "You see… Squad 12 has replaced the entire Karakura town with a replica with the help of Urahara."

"I see… so they can fight without holding back," Ichigo said.

Mayuri exclaimed loudly all of a sudden, revealing he's finished setting up the Garganta back to Karakura Town's fake copy. However, some of them were held back by Captain Unohana – who had a _striking_ smile – as they're still injured. She managed to 'persuade' her patients to stay and heal up, at the very least until they reached fighting shape, with the uninjured ones would be the first wave of reinforcement.

Only Mayuri, Nemu, and Orihime were allowed to accompany the scary head healer, Ichigo, and the twins back. However, the first two decided against it, on the account direct combat wasn't their specialty.

"Now, then, Nemu... we have some lab rats to pick up," Mayuri smirked evilly.

"Understood, Mayuri-sama," Nemu said, bowing respectfully

Everyone glanced at the weird duo. _'I almost pity the those Arrancars...'_

* * *

 **Inside the Garganta**

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria were running through the darkness with Unohana behind them. They glanced back at her when they heard her speak.

"Kurosaki-san, there was something I wanted to ask the three of you. You three confronted Aizen Sousuke on the Soukyoku Hill, right?"

Ichigo and the girls nodded.

 **"Yes, but we did not fight at all,"** Artoria said.

"We just talked a bit, and then he got into the Negación," Ichigo added.

 **"If he hadn't gotten away because of those Gillians, we would have showed him what we are made of,"** Altria said, but Unohana smiled.

"Well, I'll tell you all one thing. Right now, you three are probably the only one in whole Soul Society who can defeat Aizen."

They looked at her confused. "What are you-?" Ichigo was interrupted.

"Kurosaki-san, do you know what the power of Aizen's Kyouka Suigetsu is?" Unohana politely interrupted him.

"No, I have no idea," Ichigo said.

 **"We were so focused on the Espadas that we forgot their master,"** Artoria was frustrated.

 **"Rather than forgot, we didn't pay any attention to him at all,"** Altria said.

"His main ability is an illusion, or should I say in his words, 'a perfect illusion'. Just by seeing him release his sword once, he is able to completely control all of your senses, making you see or hear only what he wants you to. We – that means me, other Captains and Vice-Captains – saw him release his sword a long time ago when he became a Captain. Since that time, we cannot fight him effectively."

Ichigo and the girls's eyes widened. "Well... That really is a unique power. So, we just have to keep him from releasing by quickly overpowering him?" He said.

"Overpower him? Now, now Kurosaki-san, you're far too lucid to be saying this kind of thing. I know your Reiatsu is that of a Captain, since I can feel it even now, but overpowering Aizen? Now, Kurosaki-san, get real," she smiled at him sweetly, thinking he's just speaking out of youthful rashness.

 **"You are the one who should get real!"** Altria said.

 **"You don't even know wat you are talking about!"** Artoria chided.

"What you feel right now is only a fraction of my our Reiatsu. We're keeping it as low as we can. Besides, my Zanpakutō's are sealed. Our full Reiatsu is far more than this." He closed his eyes for a second and raised his Reiatsu level. "See? This is not even a quarter of my full Reiatsu."

He saw Unohana's eyes widened and jaw dropped.

 _'It cannot be…! This is not even a quarter of his Reiatsu?! And I misjudged it to be on a par with that of a Captain? Impossible. If that's really true... then how much his and his Zanpakutō's Reiatsu will be in full...?!'_ Unohana couldn't believe what she heard. In Shinigami's eyes, Ichigo was still a kid, a new born. If he could gain so much power only after a few months and without proper training... there was no way of telling what he could become after a hundreds of years, or even millennia. She herself was several hundred years old, but she never saw someone with this much potential. It was ridiculous, preposterous... improbable...

"Kurosaki-san... as I can say… you said you fought 2 members of Espada today? Are you sure you are at 100%? You girls as well?" She asked, still shocked.

"Well… you're right. None of us are at full power right now," Artoria said.

"Alright, then, Artoria-san, you go ahead and I'll restore all three of your Reiatsu to your maximum while we are running."

Ichigo looked at looked at her in genuine surprise.

"You can do that? Amazing!" He was thankful. There was no time for stopping.

"Thank you. But, Kurosaki-san… You do realize what you have to do once we reach the end, don't you?" She looked at him sadly. She would never want for someone this young having to kill… to become a killer like her past self.

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah... I know. I realize many lives depend on me, and I won't let anyone die because of him. I don't think I can kill him with one attack, but I hope it can weaken him, at least."

And with that, they continued to run.

* * *

 **Fake Karakura Town**

"So, this is supposed to be the full might of the great Soul Society? I'm disappointed," Aizen stated, looking down at the broken bodies of Captains and Vice-Captains of Soul Society.

He defeated them shortly after he decided it was time to move to the real Karakura Town instead of the fake. It was really boring, watching some of the Captains struggle against his top three Espada first. There were, however, bright moments. He was fascinated when Captain Sui-Feng cut off her arm to prevent herself from being killed by Barragan's Respira. He was almost certain the cold female Captain would sacrifice her fat Lieutenant, but surprisingly, she didn't let him.

Harribel against Captain Hitsugaya was a main disappointment for him. He expected more from the young prodigy. Even with his Bankai, he was useless against her. Maybe it was because of the elemental match-up, where she just had to use his frozen water and turn it into her attacks? Aizen thought maybe the Captain was holding back and he would use Kidō at least, but after the small prodigy tried to freeze Harribel, what was left of him made him breath heavily from exhaustion. Aizen knew by then it was all he could get from him.

The final battle, Starrk against Captain Kyoraku, was as he expected. Both fighters were strong, but quite lazy. They took turn to attack each other in-between their small talk. Even after Captain Ukitake joined the fight, Starrk was able to hold his own while still being lazy, which didn't surprise Aizen. He knew Starrk was his strongest Espada, even if he made him Primera, and not Zero.

It was when the group of people he thought long dead but suspected them to be alive, the Vizards, came, that the fun truly begun. They all tried to help and interfere in other fights. For Aizen, it was the perfect chance to taunt them a little, to make them do rash decisions. Hiyori came right after him after a few taunts, getting herself caught by Gin. That was the signal for the real battle to begin. Hirako Shinji, his previous Captain, tried to catch him off guard by using special ability of his Sakanade.

Of course, that was a mistake. Aizen was a master of illusions, and the little trick with confusing directions was nothing for him. It was only after he took him down that the old Captain-Commander finally joined the fray.

Aizen actually laughed when he saw the look in Yamamoto's eyes after he let Wonderweiss seal off his Ryuujin Jakka. It was true the old man was a force to be reckoned with, even without his Zanpakutō; however, after learning Wonderweiss held all the fire of Ryuujin Jakka in himself... seeing the old man trying to contain his own fire was an amusing sight.

Although he did impress Aizen. To live after an explosion like that, Yamamoto truly was fit to lead the Soul Society. Even Aizen wouldn't want to face him one-on-one without some backup plan.

The Commander then tried to use a self-sacrificing Kidō on him, but with luck, he managed to get away only with light injuries.

In that moment, Aizen decided to end this charade. He quickly dispatched his Espada, who were starting to get overwhelmed when the Vizards joining their fights were proving too much for them... well, not for Starrk, though. He smirked when he told them he alone was stronger than the three of them combined, before proving that by defeating all the remaining forces of Soul Society quickly.

"Well, I'd like to stay and chat, but I nee-"

His speech was interrupted by an explosion.

* * *

 **Ichigo**

"This is it! The end of Garganta. We are in our Shikai state. We have to strike Aizen as soon as we can…" Ichigo uttered, lightly nervous at the simplicity of the plan.

 **"Don't worry; stay calm,"** Artoria said.

 **"We are with you,"** Altria said.

When they got to the end through the small hole they made, they heard and saw Aizen making some kind of speech.

"That is a perfect timing," Ichigo said.

 **"We will hit him from behind before he can even move,"** Artoria said.

 **"He won't even have the time to think what hit him,"** Altria said.

And they tore through the barrier, silently sending out a huge Reiatsu Burst from their swords at Aizen's back.

Everyone looked up as they saw the orange haired boy jump from the Garganta with his Zanpakutō spirits – the ones who attacked, but they watched as their attack hit some kind of a barrier Aizen put at the back of his neck.

When Aizen felt Ichigo's presence behind him, he smirked, expecting his barrier to repel the boy's attack. But he quickly raised his sword to defend himself when he noticed the barrier instantly shattering against the force of the strike. He was engulfed in an explosion, sent flying to the building across the street.

"Huh, what do you know, it actually worked...! For a moment, I was worried, there…" Ichigo huffed.

 **"Well, all three of us did hit him in our Shikai,"** Altria said.

 **"But it still wasn't enough to kill him,"** Artoria frowned.

Ichigo looked around himself, seeing the captains and lieutenants were all lying in rubble, some more injured than others. When he saw Hiyori's state, he quickly turned to the Garganta. "Unohana-san, we can't go through the plan, you need to come out. Quickly, we have some serious wounds here!"

He went to Hiyori and Hacchi, who was trying to stabilize her, grimacing at her injury before speaking to the large man, "What happened to her?"

Hacchi only shook his head, desperately trying to keep Hiyori alive. "Kurosaki-san, just go. I will keep her alive. I promise I'll put her back together."

Unohana was already kneeling next to Hiyori, with the green light of healing Kidō glowing on her hands.

Others were just looking at Ichigo and his Zanpakutō spirits in surprise. _'They were able to struck Aizen?!'_

"Ichigo... you're late, you dumbass…!" Shinji breathed from the ground. "But you brought Unohana. I may forgive you." He twitched a little from the pain and clutched his shoulder.

"Shinji... no, we'll talk later. Aizen is about to get up," He said, before going to Artoria and Altria.

 _'Yeah, kick his ass,'_ Shinji thought, before passing out. Ichigo and his Zanpakutō spirits were their last hope to defeat Aizen.

"I'm impressed, Kurosaki Ichigo. You were able to do something the whole Soul Society could not: striking me. And your Reiatsu is just keeps getting higher every time," Aizen said, coming up from the rubble, bleeding from the deep cut on his back. It seemed at the last second, he managed to deflect their attack from his neck.

"Your personality seems to have changed during your time as Shinigami. Tell me, Kurosaki, what happened? Since you are here I assume you somehow defeated Ulquiorra. It seems your Reiatsu is changed."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, shrugging, not wanting to admit before the whole Soul Society he already unleashed his inner Hollow.

"I see. So, what happens now, Kurosaki? Surely, you don't want to fight me? You are here, which means you have saved the girl and your friends are fine. What other reasons to fight me do you have? Tell me."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "I'll teach you a good lesson, that's what's going to happen. That my friends are fine is great, but that's not relevant right now. You have done things to them, you made them see things no 16-years-old kid should have seen. You are threatening my family; you want to destabilize Soul Society. Even if I didn't care for Soul Society now, it's still the place when all of us would go after our deaths. Besides, some of the Soul Reapers are my friends. I may be naive, but for now I believe them. Should they turn on me… well, that's not the time for that, is it, huh? Or should I start listing other things? Do you prefer an alphabetical, or chronological order, Aizen?"

Without further warning, he flashed to him, trying to stab him with Excalibur.

The members of Soul Society were listening to them through the whole time, trying to find out why was he fighting too. Few of them however frowned when he didn't finish his sentence. What would happen if they would turn on him?

Aizen was surprised – not by his speech, but the speed of his attack. He barely had the time to raise his sword to block, and he almost buckled against the force of the strike. Artoria and Altria flashed behind him and tried to stab him with their own swords, but Aizen used Shunpō and got away. Looking at the three of them furiously, he flashed away, blocking another flurry of attacks, not even knowing he was pushed away from the place where all the injured Soul Reapers were.

 _"Artoria, Altria… stay behind for now!"_ Ichigo ordered through his mental connection.

 ** _"Why is that?"_** Altria asked.

 _"Right now, we are in our Shikai, but we should save our Reiatsu as much as we can. Aizen is not someone who we can face without Bankai. We can't use all the Reiatsu from the beginning. So, stay behind for now, and if he gets an upper hand on me, then come,"_ Ichigo explained.

 ** _"Okay, then." "Very well!"_** They replied.

"What is the problem Aizen? That's all you have? You don't seem that strong now!" He suddenly bent himself and kicked Aizen in the stomach, sending him flying through the stone wall while taunting, before sending a nameless Reiatsu Burst after that.

Aizen managed to get up, holding his stomach in pain. He wiped the blood from his mouth. "It would seem my limit has finally come... as a Shinigami, that is. Behold, Kurosaki Ichigo, my soul will undergo a metamorphosis. It seems as though the Hōgyoku's will has finally begun to understand my mind!"

"Just what are you talking about, Aizen?" Ichigo asked, thinking this guy's head had lost it.

Typical megalomaniacs…

"Oh, but you really should listen. Do you know what Hougyoku's true power is? Why I sent Kuchiki Rukia to you so its power could awaken? I'll tell you one thing: Urahara Kisuke thought Hougyoku was a tool to erase the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow. He was wrong, otherwise Hirako Shinji and others should not have become complete 'Vizards'. Their Hollowification was merely my experiment to determine its power... then I, armed with a hypothesis about the Hougyoku's abilities, sent Kuchiki Rukia in your direction. Hougyoku can manifest what's in the minds of those around it, but it's not without limit. It will not happen unless the subject possesses the power to fulfil their desire."

"W-What?!"

 **"T-That little purple marble can grant wishes?!"** Altria said in shock.

 **"A wish granting device… How can something like that exist?!"** Artoria asked, thinking a similar thing.

"I must thank you; it is because of you as the three of you pushed me to my limits, that now Hōgyoku is granting my wish," Aizen smirked. "I expected nothing less from one of my biggest experiments."

His words immediately sparked something in the boy's head, who straight away interrupted him. "'Experiment'… of a Shinigami-Quincy-Hollow hybrid? Yeah, I already know about that," He commented when he saw Aizen's surprised expression. "Were you trying to destabilize my mind with that information?" Ichigo grinned, pointing his swords at him, however, a figure stepped between them.

"Father, what are you doing here!?" Ichigo asked, seeing his father in full Shinigami garb and a tattered Captain's Haori wrapped around his left shoulder, it had the Squad 10 written on it.

"What does it look like, son? I'm beating up this creep who has an unhealthy interest in you like any good father would," Isshin said, giving Ichigo a thumbs-up. "Besides, I'm still waiting for grandchildren, my third and fourth daughters!"

Given the seriousness of the situation, even Isshin knew his joke was pushing it, so he re-focused on the now-smirking Aizen. "Ichigo, I'll take care of Aizen. Do you think you can take down Gin over there? Artoria and Altria should stay in the side lines for now," he suggested.

"Okay…"

With them gone, Isshin pointed his Zanpakutō at the sky, closing his eyes, then took a deep breath. After that, he chanted strongly, **"Rise up from Lake of Perfection… Arondight!" **

His Zanpakutō then transformed to its Shikai state into something similar to Ichigo's Excalibur, complete with engravings written on the silver blade of the sword.

"Not going to use your Bankai?" Aizen asked.

"Well, you see… my Zanpakutō has some control issues, even now in Shikai – after _your_ experiment, I might add – so I am only using 50% of its true power," Isshin said, while Aizen just smirked.

* * *

"Well, hi there, Ichigo! it's been a while hasn't it?" Gin said, waving at the orange haired boy as he reappeared a few yards away.

Ichigo pointed Morgan at Gin. The ex-captain quickly released his Zanpakutō, making him dodge his extending blade. Ichigo followed by fired a nameless Reiatsu Burst and making Gin back away.

"Not bad, Ichigo, but still…!" The blade retracted and then shot forward repeatedly and far-too-quickly for a human's eye to see, trying to stab Ichigo from a distance.

The boy just smirked, **"Become the paradise of darkness no man can set forth in, Vortigern!"**

With the outpour of black Reiatsu from the black sword, Ichigo formed a ball by attaching it to the sheath, deflecting Gin's fury. When the ex-captain's concentration shifted slightly, it's fired back onto him, making a large cut on Gin's shoulder.

Ichigo then quickly deactivated Vortigern. "If you want to stay alive, then stop playing around," He proclaimed, pointing Morgan at him like before.

Gin just turned and smirked at him in his usual creepy way. "If you insist. Ichigo. **Bankai!** "

Ichigo was suddenly launched back several hundred kilometres, sending him flying over the battle taking place between Isshin and Aizen. Artoria and Altria flashed behind him and got a hold him in the air. "Thanks, Artoria, Altria!" Ichigo sighed in relief.

It hadn't harmed him, but the strength behind the blow was worryingly tremendous.

 **"No need to thank us,"** Artoria said.

 **"That fox is quite powerful!"** Altria commented.

He turned left, and saw his father and the strange white substance which seemed to coming from the Hōgyoku, which was beginning to envelop Aizen. "What is happening to him?"

"You haven't missed anything; in fact, you're right on time to witness the birth of a new being," Aizen said mockingly, but before he could finish speaking, a red beam of Kidō shot straight through his shoulder, surprising everyone. "So, you've decided to come now, Kisuke Urahara?!"

They all looked up to see the shop owner himself standing on a building high above them.

"Urahara, it is about time you showed up!" Ichigo shouted him.

"Sorry to make you wait like that, Kurosaki-san and his lovely ladies." Kisuke grinned underneath his hat.

A few minutes later, after a couple of failed murder attempts on Aizen, it became a three-on-one battle. Isshin, Urahara and Yoruichi attempted to take the madman down, who was now completely covered in a white second skin-like jacket, with only a two dark lenses for his eyes visible. While the remains of the fake city were torn apart by the battle, Ichigo and Gin were still fighting, but Artoria and Altria had also joined Ichigo.

"There is something I want to ask you," Ichigo said, as he stood still, pointing his blades down.

"Hmm…? What is it?" Gin asked with his usual smirk.

"Why do you follow Aizen? You do not strike me as someone who would follow orders from someone like him… I shall ask again, why are you with Aizen?" Ichigo pointed Excalibur at him.

Gin opened his eyes a little, showing a burning passion he had never shown anyone, not even the woman he loved the most. "It's because he hurt Rangiku."

Ichigo and the girls stared at him for a few seconds. "Very well, then," He sheathed his Zanpakutō, joined by Artoria and Altria, much to Gin's confusion.

"Hmm…? You won't attack me anymore?"

"Now I know you are only with him because you want to finish him yourself. We don't have any reason to fight you anymore," Ichigo said, as he turned back. "I'll make sure to create an opening; make sure you don't miss."

Just as they were about to leave, three bodies hit the ground, all of them unconscious. Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria rushed towards them, checking all three experienced ex-Shinigamis over, while Aizen walked towards Gin, the substance covering his face cracking and peeling away as he walked. They walked past each other, neither paying the other a second glance.

"Gin, open the Senkaimon. We'll destroy Karakura and create the Ōken in Soul Society," Aizen commanded, as his new appearance was revealed, with not much changed other than his hair was now longer and his eyes had changed to a dark purple with white irises.

He took one look back at Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria who were still busy trying to help Isshin, Yoruichi, and Urahara out of the rubble, and narrowed his eyes. The three of them didn't seem to care about what he just said, at least. The Senkaimon gates to the Soul Society opened before Aizen, as he made to leave this place and complete his master plan, but was stopped by what Ichigo said.

"Aizen… for what you just did to my father I will kill you," Ichigo growled seriously, a frightening look on his face. His words gave Aizen pause, but the man merely smirked and continued through the gateway. Artoria and Altria took Urahara and Yoruichi to a safe distance and laid them there, before approaching Ichigo. "Get up, you useless father! We still got a little while before Aizen just destroys everything in Karakura".

"How do you know that?" Isshin asked, grunting and forcing himself to stand.

"Because that is the kind of man he is, he will walk around the city a bit, admire the views, then maybe find some poor people to toy with, and then when they start to bore him, destroy them along with the entire town," Ichigo said.

"You're sometimes creepier then Gin, you know?" Isshin said with wide eyes.

Slapping the older man upside the head, Ichigo swung one of his swords, opening a Senkaimon. But as they ran, Isshin felt something was off and stopped. "The Cleaner… isn't here," he muttered.

 **"You are right; by now, it should have come here,"** Artoria said.

 **"Aizen must have done something to it,"** Altria said.

"Is it bad if The Cleaner isn't here?" Ichigo asked.

"Normally, yes, but as the situation is right now, it is good for us," Isshin said. "This place existed separately in terms of temporality and spatially from both the world of the living and the Soul Society. The Cleaner exist to eliminate those who stay here for too long," Isshin said.

"The density of time here is overwhelmingly high then the density outside. As a year passes by in our world, two thousand years passes by here. This place is also used to exile criminals. That is the reason why restrictive current and The Cleaner exist. If the restrictive current sneers, your death is certain. And if The Cleaner hurls you, you will be thrown out of your original time axis. Right now, since it isn't here, it is perfect opportunity to gain time. Since if you train here for 2 thousand hours, only 1 hour will pass outside. There is no way to seal The Cleaner, but there is a way to stop the restrictive current," Isshin explained, pulling something like sticks with ropes on their ends from his robe. He then threw two on the right side and two on the left side, while attaching the ropes on his wrists.

"We call this process 'realm fixation'. Usually, it is done by many low-ranking Soul Reapers to fixate the restrictive current, but I can do it by myself, though not for long… about 2 thousand hours in here. Use that time and learn _it_."

"Learn what?"

 ** _'I have a bad feeling for what he has in mind,'_** Artoria thought.

 ** _'He better not suggest what I think he will,'_** Altria followed up.

"The forbidden attack of your Zanpakutō, obviously," Isshin said, as Artoria and Altria's eyes widened. "Every Zanpakutō has a forbidden attack which gives them ultimate power for some time… See? Your girlfriends know about it too. Ask them," Isshin said. The girls looked at him in shock.

"Ultimate power…" Ichigo whispered.

Isshin nodded. "But in return, it may forever damage your soul. You see-" Isshin stopped talking as he noticed Ichigo was now asleep… or he was forcibly pushed into his inner world.

 **"Y-You…! How dare you say that!"** Altria roared.

 **"Do you have any idea what would have happened if he had fully heard you!"** Artoria glared at Isshin.

"It is the only way," Isshin said, in a low but serious tone.

 **"So, you would have him chose between _us_ and using _that_!?"** Artoria asked.

"The forbidden move is the only way to defeat him," Isshin replied.

 **"Don't assume things on your own! We have more powerful techniques than… than… using that _thing!_ "** Altria sneered.

"So, do you have techniques which can defeat Aizen?" Isshin asked.

 **"Yes! You should know better than anyone else how different we are from other Zanpakutōs!"** Artoria narrowed her eyes at Isshin.

 **"We will teach Ichigo something else which will defeat that madman. This is your first and last warning; if you ever tried to tell him that again… then even if you are Ichigo's father, I will not hesitate to kill you…!"** Altria glared at him with hateful eyes.

Artoria puts a hand on Altria's shoulder. **"We should go now; Ichigo is waiting."** The latter looked at her for several more seconds, and gave her a nod. Then she disappeared into the inner world.

 **"You should keep stopping the restrictive current. The technique we will teach him will take time,"** Artoria instructed. **"Oh, and one last thing…"** She then looked at Isshin in the eyes. **"You should not take her words as warning… because it was a _threat_."** She then also disappeared.

Isshin sighed. "It seems I made a really big mistake. Ichigo, I really hope they can teach you a technique which can defeat Aizen..."

* * *

 ** _Notes_**

 ** _1) Lancelot's Arondight from Fate/ Grand Order._**

* * *

 ** _A.N. The credits for Ichigo's Resurrection and Arrondight's idea goes to_** ** _ThunderReborn._**

 ** _Next time: Seals and Release_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	9. Seals and Release

**_A.N: The first chapter has been reuploaded with the grammars being corrected by my new Beta Tester. Hopefully the second chapter will be reuploaded by the next week._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester: ekaterina016_**

* * *

 _Recap: "Use that time and learn it."_

 _"Learn what?" Ichigo asked._

 ** _'I have a bad feeling for what he has in mind,'_** _Artoria thought._

 ** _'He better not suggests what I think he will,'_** _Altria thought._

 _"Learn how to release the forbidden attack of your Zanpakutō," Isshin said, as Artoria and Altria's eyes widened. "Every Zanpakutō has a forbidden attack which gives them ultimate power for some time."_

 _The girls looked at him in shock._

 _"Ultimate power…" Ichigo whispered._

 _Isshin nodded. "But in return, it may forever damage your soul. You see-" Isshin stopped talking as he noticed Ichigo was now asleep… or he was pulled into his inner world._

 ** _"Y-You, how dare you say that!"_** _Altria roared._

 ** _"Do you have any idea what would have happened if he had fully heard you?!"_** _Artoria glared at Isshin._

 _"It is the only way," Isshin said in a low but serious tone._

 ** _"So, you would have him chose between us and using that!?"_** _Artoria asked._

 _"The forbidden move is the only way to defeat him," Isshin replied._

 ** _"Don't assume things on your own! We have more powerful techniques then… than… using that thing!"_** _Altria sneered._

 _"So, do you have techniques which can defeat Aizen?" Isshin asked._

 ** _"Yes! You should know better than anyone else how different we are from other Zanpakutōs!"_** _Artoria narrowed her eyes at Isshin._

 ** _"We will teach Ichigo something else which will defeat that madman. This is your first and last warning; if you ever tried to tell him that again… then even if you are Ichigo's father, I will not hesitate to kill you,"_** _Altria glared at him with hateful eyes._

 _Artoria put a hand on Altria's shoulder. **"We should go now. Ichigo is waiting."**_

 _Altria looked at her for a few seconds, and gave her a nod. Then, she disappeared into the inner world._

 ** _"You should keep stopping the restrictive current. The technique we will teach him will take time,"_** _Artoria instructed. **"One last thing…"** She then looked at Isshin in the eyes. **"You should not take her words as warning… because it was a threat."** She then also disappeared._

 _Isshin sighed. "It seems I made a really big mistake. Ichigo… I really hope they are right…"_

* * *

 ** _Chapter 9: Seals and Release_**

* * *

Inside his inner world, Ichigo tried to leave the place and go back to the real world and finish hearing what his father had to say. But all his efforts to leave his soul was in vain. After a minute of trying, Artoria and Altria also followed him inside. Ichigo turned to look at them for answers.

"I can't seem to leave this place. Do you know why?" Ichigo asked them.

 **"You can't leave… because we aren't letting you go."** Artoria replied, surprising him.

"W-Why would you do that? I have to go back and hear what he had to say about the ultimate pow-"

 **"FORGET ABOUT THAT!"** Altria yelled, shocking and silencing him. She and Artoria looked at him sadly. **"Please… forget that you ever heard about it."**

 **"Ichigo… you love us, right?"** Artoria asked in a low tone.

"Of course, I love you two more than anyone else in this world!" He replied instantly.

 **"Then, please, I am begging you, forget about it,"** Artoria said desperately.

 **"Please don't ask what it is, either to us, or to your father,"** Altria pleaded.

Ichigo slowly walked to them and lovingly embraced them. "I have my complete trust in you two. I don't know why you two don't want me to know about it, but if you two had decided so strongly, then I will never ask about it," Ichigo said, and released the hug as the two spirits smiled at their Master.

 **"Thank you, Ichigo,"** Altria said.

 **"You have no idea how much that means to us for you to not ask about it,"** Artoria said, relieved.

"It is as I said just now. If you two don't want me to know about it, then I won't ask. Besides, I am certain you are doing it for my own well-being," Ichigo said, and smiled as the girls also smiled warmly at him. "But now, we have to find a way to defeat that power-hungry fool."

 **"That is why we are here."** Altria said, as Ichigo looked on, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

 **"We are here to tell you about our seals,"** Artoria answered.

Altria sighed. **"Ichigo, do you see how our Shikai and Bankai have 13 seals placed on them."**

"13 seals?" Ichigo asked.

 **"And while the seals are placed, you can't use all the powers of the Zanpakutō** ," Altria said, shocking him.

"S-So you are saying I have been fighting all this time without using our full power?" Ichigo asked shocked.

 **"That is right. Normally, we would have trained you to remove the seals gradually in 6 or 7 years, but it seems now we have to teach you remove the seals of your Shikai… or at least some of them,"** Altria said.

"Why not teach me to remove all of them?" Ichigo asked.

 **"It is as Altria said; you are not ready to remove all of them. To be honest, it will be a miracle if you will be able to remove even 5 of them. And don't even begin asking us about the seals on Bankai,"** Artoria said.

"There is something I want to ask you two," Ichigo said, as Artoria gave the nod. "Does all the Zanpakutōs have these seals? Or is it specifically only in my case?"

 **"It is neither… or perhaps, it is closer to the latter,"** Artoria said thoughtfully.

"What does that mean?" Ichigo asked.

Altria sighed. **"You see, Ichigo… The seals are something that weren't placed by us."**

"Then who put them on anyway?"

The two Zanpakutō spirits shared a glance. **"It was… the Soul King."**

"Soul…King? Who is that?" He asked, confused.

 **"It is as his title said. The person who put the seals on was the Soul King. He is someone whose only job is to regulate the flow of souls into and out of Soul Society, and keep the flow stable. Without the Soul King, the balance is lost, and everything which is linked to Soul Society, or made in it, as well as Hueco Mundo and the Human World, will fall apart,"** Altria explained.

"So… he is like a god?" Ichigo asked skeptically.

 **"In a way… Yes, he is a god,"** Artoria confirmed.

"What was the reason he put the seals, and when did he even do it?" Ichigo asked another question.

 **"He did it the moment you were born. And the reason why he did that was because of our powers,"** Altria answered.

"Of your powers..." He muttered.

 **"Just think about it, Ichigo; what kind of Zanpakutōs have abilities like us? Have you seen any Shinigami who have even half of our type of abilities?"** Artoria asked.

Ichigo began to recall all the Zanpakutōs he had seen, as he blinked. "You are right… I haven't seen any Zanpakutō who has even 2 abilities. And I certainly haven't seen a Zanpakutō whose sheaths also have abilities, or even _names_."

 **"We have 13 seals on us, and you have defeated strong opponents without our full power easily,"** Altria said.

 **"Now… imagine us being 13 times more powerful. What do you think will happen to your foes?"** Artoria asked, as Ichigo didn't even had to think.

"I could finish them off with my eyes closed. Even Ulquiorra wouldn't have stood a chance against you two in your sealed state," Ichigo said.

 **"That is right. So, think what will happen if you were like Aizen. What would you do with that kind of power… with Aizen's personality?"** Artoria asked.

Ichigo had a thoughtful expression. "If I was like him, I would have destroyed the world long ago…" Ichigo muttered.

 **"That is the reason why the seals were put by him. To ensure our immense power would not be abused,"** Altria said.

"But without the full release of your powers, how can I defeat him? I think even with my Resurrección, it will not be possible." Ichigo frowned.

 **"You don't have to worry about that. With things how they are, you can release already some of them,"** Artoria said, surprising him a bit.

 **"There are two ways to remove the seals,"** Altria said.

"Two ways? What are they?"

 **"The first is to train slowly and release them steadily. This will take around 10-15 years to completely release all of them** ," Artoria explained the first way.

"We don't even have 1 year! What is the second way?" Ichigo urged.

 **"The second way is to be powerful enough… and for the situation to be right,"** Altria answered.

"Powerful enough… and 'situation'?" Ichigo asked, confused.

 **"The way Soul King designed the seals are so you can temporarily release them if you are powerful enough, and if the situation involves the world being threatened to be destroyed,"** Artoria explained.

"The world is certainly threatened by Aizen, but am I powerful enough to remove all the seals?" Ichigo asked himself.

 **"Even if only seven seals are released, it will be enough to release our true power,"** Altria said.

 **"Ichigo, come with us,"** Artoria asked.

"To where?" He asked.

 **"Somewhere you can release the seals,"** Altria answered, as she and Artoria began to walk.

After following them for a minute, Ichigo saw a big blurred building afar. Then, when the three of them reached the place, Ichigo carefully studied the view in front of him. The big blur was a White Castle which looked like it was made during old days, using the appropriate ancient techniques.

"I didn't know there was such a beautiful castle in my Inner World..." Ichigo muttered, visibly admiring it.

 **"We wanted to show it to you when the time is right,"** Artoria said.

 **"Let's go in,"** Altria said, opening the big front gate and walking inside, as the other two followed.

After they went inside, Ichigo followed Artoria underground via the stairs. As they reached the end, Ichigo saw what looked like a secret chamber. Artoria opened the door as she and Altria went inside. Ichigo followed them unhesitatingly. There, he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Are… they what I think they are?" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

 **"Yes, you are not seeing things,"** Altria replied.

Ichigo once again looked back at the scene in front of him. There were what looked like Excalibur and Rhongomyniad… made of stone, pinned onto the ground, and wrapped in chains.

 **"As you can see, they are us, but those chain and stone represent how most of our powers are sealed,"** Artoria explained. **"Now, get ready, Ichigo."**

"For what?" He asked, a bit nervous.

 **"To show him you are worthy and ready to release the seal,"** Altria answered.

"Who am I supposed to show it to?" Ichigo asked… but he soon got the answer in the form of a shadow forming in front of him.

 **"To him… the one who put the seals,"** Artoria answered.

 **"None other than the Soul King himself,"** Altria finished.

The shadowed figure formed a humanoid shape, sans limbs.

 **"I knew you will come someday to remove the seals, Ichigo."** The shadow spoke.

"Are you really the Soul King?" Ichigo asked.

 **"What you are currently seeing is my shadow,"** He replied. **"Right now, I am in my palace, being guarded by my trusted guardians."** The shadow said. **"But let's talk about you."**

"About me?" Ichigo asked.

 ** _'So, he is about to begin,'_** Artoria thought.

 ** _"It does seem so,"_** Altria said to her though their mental connection.

 **"What is the reason you want to release the seals?"** The shadow asked.

 ** _'Ichigo… answer carefully,'_** Artoria thought.

 ** _'If he gives even one wrong answer, then…'_** Altria thought nervously.

"So that I can defeat Aizen," Ichigo answered confidently.

 **"Aizen is more powerful than you right now. Do you still want to fight him?"**

"Yes," Ichigo replied without thinking.

A 'clank' resonated in the room, but Ichigo failed to hear it.

 **"Even if you will face him alone without any help from others?"**

"Yes."

Another 'clank' resonated.

 **"Do you really think what Aizen doing is evil?"**

"Without a doubt."

 **"And what do you gain from fighting him? What is your reason?"**

"Nothing at all. All I want is to protect my family and friends."

 **"If you get this power… do you not want to mutilate and tore him to pieces for kidnaping your friend and hurting your father?"**

"No, I will never fall that low. It is something I will never do to anyone."

 **"What if you die in your battle? You will leave behind your family and friends. Not to mention… your precious lovers will also die with you."**

"I will fight him because I want to live a life where I can spend every day waking with Artoria and Altria in my arms, and have breakfast with my family and spend my day leisurely with my friends."

 **"Why do you want to defeat him? You have no reason to fight him. If it is about your family and friends, why not take them with you and leave Karakura?"** The shadow suggested.

"I can do that, but if I leave, then Aizen will destroy Karakura. That is why I will defeat him," Ichigo retorted.

 **"Why fight him yourself and not let the Shinigamis do their job**?" The shadow asked.

"Because they are already defeated!" Ichigo replied back.

 **"Not the Shinigamis in the Soul Society. Let them fight,"** The shadow said.

"They aren't strong enough. If they fight him, he will kill them all!" Ichigo explained.

 **"So, you will fight in their stead? Why is that?"** The shadow asked.

"So that I can protect them," Ichigo answered.

 **"What if he escapes and went to another city, and tried to create an Ōken from the souls in that place?"**

"I will protect them too."

 **"But he can create an Ōken as long as he can find souls… and the entire world is filled with souls."**

"Then I will protect the entire world!"

The seventh 'clank' resonated.

 **"You gave me the answers I expected from you."**

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

 **"What he meant was he was testing you by asking those questions,"** Artoria answered him.

 **"One seal was removed each time when you answered him correctly,"** Altria said, surprising him.

 **"You have successfully removed seven seals,"** Artoria pointed out.

"Really?" Ichigo asked shocked.

 **"Which means… some of our true powers can be released now,"** Artoria declared.

"You are right… but there are still six more seals to go," Ichigo retorted.

 **"Perhaps some other day."** The shadow said.

"Why not release them all now?" Ichigo asked.

 **"Because you are about to wake up."**

Ichigo got confused by his answer. "Wha-"

* * *

 **Dangai**

Ichigo rolled back on the ground in pain as he nursed his forehead. He looked up and saw Isshin had headbutted him. A second later, Artoria and Altria had also materialized in the real world behind him.

"Y-You old goat! Why did you do that!?" Ichigo roared. "I was so close to-"

"Whatever you were doing caused the restrictive current to go haywire. Because of that, the time here has sped up even more," Isshin interrupted him.

"What?" Ichigo asked confused.

 **"It's probably because of that shadow,"** Artoria said.

 **"Maybe him coming here had some effect on this place,"** Altria said.

"Did you learned the technique to defeat Aizen?" Isshin asked in a low tone.

"I did," Ichigo replied.

"Good… I will leave the rest…" Isshin finally passed out as nearly all his Reiatsu was used up.

Ichigo broke those ropes from Isshin's wrists and carried him on his shoulder. "Let's go, we can't stay here any longer."

"You are right; with the restrictive current started again, we shouldn't stay here any longer." Artoria agreed.

The three of them left the Dangai by using their movement techniques and headed to face Aizen for the last time.

* * *

 **1 Hour Later…  
Karakura Town**

The group of Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru, Don Kanonji and the Shinigami Zennosuke were down on the ground. Their bodies were unable to withstand the enormous amount of Reiatsu emitting form Aizen. He spent an hour chasing them around the town just for fun. He also went into another transformation because of Gin's attempted murder. His former subordinate lied in a heap before him, dying from the severe wounds he inflicted on him. Rangiku was too busy crying over Gin to pay attention to Aizen, when suddenly three figures landed on the ground behind them.

Ichigo was standing with Artoria and Altria, who looked a little older after spending almost a month in Dangai. Ichigo was also carrying his father on his right shoulder who now had sported a beard, before putting him down on the ground.

"I-Is that Ichigo, Artoria and Altria?" Keigo asked. "Maybe it's because of the hair, but they look a little taller as well…"

Ichigo turns towards them. "Keigo, Mizuiro, Tatsuki, Chiziru, Kanonji… Imoyama-"

"Who is that?! It's Kurumadani! Kurumadani Zennosuke! If you don't know, then ask! Don't just name people based on who you think they are!" Zennosuke yelled, huffing from exertion.

"Stay right where you are. All of you." Ichigo said.

"W-What do you mean, Ichigo?" Keigo asked.

"Artoria, Altria… take care of them, please."

 **"Don't worry about them,"** Artoria said.

 **"Just take care of him. So, we all can go home,"** Altria said, as Ichigo nodded.

"Are you truly... Ichigo Kurosaki?", Aizen said gaining Ichigo's attention.

"What do you mean?", Ichigo said showing no emotion.

"If you are truly Ichigo Kurosaki... then I am disappointed. You have the same amount of Reiatsu as before. Even if you were suppressing it, I could have easily sense it. You have failed to evolve. You have thrown away the last chance I bestowed upon you," Aizen said.

Aizen stuck out his left hand towards Ichigo. "Such a pity, Kurosaki-"

Aizen was cut off by Ichigo. "Aizen."

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

"Let's move away somewhere else. I don't want to fight here," Ichigo said, looking at everyōne.

"A meaningless proposal. Such words are reserved for those word the strength to challenge me. There is no need for concern. I will leave Karakura Town's destruction until after I-"

Aizen was cut off by Ichigo suddenly grabbing Aizen's face with his left hand and jumping away. As they flew over the distant town below, Aizen could only mutter "What?!" before being thrown forcefully into a deserted gorge.

The dust cleared slowly. Crouched down, Aizen could only touch his face where Ichigo had grabbed it, completely taken aback.

 _'Impossible! There's no way he could force me like this!'_

Aizen's breathing was slowing. He had to regain his usual composure.

"Let's do this, Aizen," Ichigo said, unsheathing his Zanpakutōs which were in Shikai state. "I'll end all of this in an instant."

"End it in an instant?" Aizen smiled, "What can you do with that little Reiatsu you may have gained, along with some physical strength, but that's it…? But, do despair." Aizen continued, his grin growing wider. "I will teach you… that the physical strength you were counting on is in comparable to my own power."

And with that, the Hōgyoku planted in Aizen's chest rang out a high solid note, emitting an eerie glow. Aizen had disappeared and suddenly reappeared behind Ichigo, preparing to deal a deadly blow. But Ichigo met him head on, and their swords clashed. As Ichigo deflected Aizen's thrust with Morgan, the mountain beside them exploded into dust from the sheer, raw power.

Both took a few steps back from each other. Aizen was still smiling with his all-knowing attitude.

"You parried that well," he complimented. "How shocked you must be though. The landscape changes with the single swing of my sword. That is how powerful I am now. To tell the truth, I didn't think my abilities had improved to this extent. I'm happy, Ichigo Kurosaki. Thanks to you, I can test these powers which transcend those of Hollows and Soul Reapers to my heart's content."

Ichigo remained silent and stony faced. Aizen charged him again and again, but Ichigo continued to ward off all of his attacks. All around, the ground kept exploding each time their blades met. "I'm not done yet, Ichigo Kurosaki…" Aizen said, rushing forward for the seventh time. Yet this time, Ichigo had disappeared, using Shunpo to dodge Aizen's brutal onslaught. He reappeared on a ledge above.

"Did you really think I couldn't follow your moves?" Aizen's voice said from the sky. Ichigo leapt sideways and Aizen crashed into the earth and demolished the ledge with his Zanpakutō. Not at all fazed by this, Ichigo landed a short way away in the now clearing dust. He looked to his left. Aizen came from that direction with great speed, swinging his sword hard. Ichigo blocked it and they both stood there, swords pressing hard against each other.

"I realized during our clash just now. If I so wish… I can shatter your precious Zanpakutōs with a single swing!" As Aizen swung his sword back, Ichigo with incredible ease stopped Aizen's sword between his elbow and knee. The force generated from the strike destroyed the ground all behind Ichigo, creating a deep pit.

 _'Impossible!_ ' Aizen thought, wide eyed and stunned. ' _He caught it? Dodging it, I could understand; though he shouldn't even be able to dodge at that speed to begin with…! He caught my blow?'_

"Why so surprised?" Ichigo asked, as calm as ever. "Is it so unbelievable that I caught your sword?"

 _'What?'_

"Does it scare you?" Ichigo asked, looking as if he barely noticed he was still holding Aizen's blade. "That something you can't comprehend happened right before your eyes?"

At this, Aizen laughed. "Interesting, Ichigo Kurosaki…"

He leapt back, a good distance away from the boy who had just let go of Aizen's sword.

"Something I 'can't comprehend', you say? Don't talk as if you've won. It was simply a case of your physical strength momentarily exceeding mine. Miracles like that happen from time to time. But I am a being who surpasses even that. In that case, I will see to it miracles like that never happen again… by crushing you to pieces with Kidō!"

Aizen then raised his finger high into the air and began to chant, "The oozing crest of corruption! The arrogant vessel of madness! Deny the seething urge… Stun and flicker…disrupt the sleep! The crawling queen of iron! The eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill the earth, and know your powerlessness! Hadō No. 90: KUROHITSUGI!"

At once, a great, horrible blackness shined and encased Ichigo in a box-like cage. Blocking out the sky, it raised high like a tower.

"Now that I transcend both Hollows and Soul Reapers, this is Kurohitsugi with a full incantation!" Aizen shouted at Ichigo, who was disappearing from sight beneath the darkness. "It unleashes enough gravity to warp time and space! The likes of you could never comprehend it, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Ichigo did not look the least bit concerned as the last chink of daylight was blocked from his view.

Laughing, Aizen lowered his arm and admired his now completed Kidō, feeling invincible and composed once more.

But it was not to last.

Just as he thought it was over, the unthinkable happened.

Aizen's entire Hadō shattered into powder, as if it was nothing but thin glass.

And there stood Ichigo in the center of the now-broken cube, with Morgan's hilt raised, as if he had just batted something made of eggshells with it.

Aizen was bewildered. It was impossible. How could the boy have destroyed it?

"You don't seem to realize, do you? My power is greater than the power you have right now," Ichigo said, starting to walk towards Aizen, looking him directly in the eyes. And Aizen _could not look away_. "The force which erased that mountain…was _my_ sword. Here I come, Aizen."

And before Aizen could do anything more than take a step backwards, Ichigo had appeared directly in front of him.

Blood splattered onto the ground. Ichigo had neatly sliced up the latter's right shoulder. If Aizen had not stepped back in time, he would have lost his entire arm.

There was silence for a brief second, then a bright flash of light as Aizen disappeared and reappeared far away from Ichigo on a high cliff.

"What an odd feeling…" Ichigo murmured; his eyes following Aizen's every move. "During our last battle, you said I should attack you with everything I have. But now when I haven't even used half of my power, you have backed away. So, let me ask you, Aizen: Why did you back away just now?"

Aizen glared at him as he seemed to be getting angry; he was gripping his sword so tightly in an effort to control his rage that it was shaking.

"I see," he said, his voice getting louder as he went on. "You're pleased you stopped my sword? Are you pleased you overcame my Kidō? Are you pleased you put a scar on my body?" As he said this, the place where Ichigo had cut him started to regenerate. "DON'T BE SO FULL OF YOURSELF, HUMAN!"

The moment he said these words, Aizen temple cracked. Blood was oozing from his forehead; his body had frozen stock still as his eyes rolled back. His head tilted limply to one side as if he were unconscious. Just as Aizen's skin cracked open, a huge blast of blood and purple light filled the sky. The only thing to be heard was Aizen's scream – whether in anger or in agony, Ichigo could not tell.

After the smoke cleared, he could just barely make out Aizen. But Aizen looked nothing like he had before. A Hollow-like mouth with white eyes, with wings growing hideous mouths, still dripping with blood, horrible to behold – he was a _monster_.

As Aizen stood up, Ichigo could make out a hole in his chest, like a Hollow, but in its center rested the Hōgyoku, glimmering faintly.

"Yes…" Aizen's voice came, which was more like a growl than anything. "This is inexcusable, isn't it, Hōgyoku? That I… let a human get the better of me."

One of the mouths on the wings opened, and a small purple, glowing _thing_ appeared there. The mouth then lent back and tossed it directly at Ichigo.

There was a deafening sound… and everything exploded.

Down in Karakura town, a shock wave hit the huddled group of humans, watching a massive burst of flame hit the sky.

"Can you hear me, Ichigo Kurosaki?" said Aizen, taunting the limp form who was Ichigo. "Indeed, for a moment, you broke the boundary between Hollows and Shinigamis to become a transcendent being. But that power is no more! Not a trace of it remains! You're not even worth trying to understand anymore. I, a true transcendent being, will kill you. By killing you, I will completely break free from both insignificant Shinigamisand Hollows alike. It's over! Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"Over, you say?" Ichigo said, bored. "Let's end this already, Aizen," Ichigo lowered his Zanpakutō as he said this, "I've grown sick… of all your arguments and logic."

He then raised Excalibur, pointing it directly at Aizen, who for some reason could not think of anything to say.

"Allow me to show you the true Excalibur Morgan," Ichigo said. Aizen watched as Excalibur and Morgan began to disengage in front of him. Soon, Artoria and Altria also came there and were standing with Ichigo. He looked at Artoria and Altria who nodded.

"Seal thirteen, decision start."

 **"Is the enemy more powerful than you?"** Artoria asked.

"He is," Ichigo answered.

 **"Approved,"** Altria replied.

 **"Is the battle one-on-one?"** Altria asked.

"It is," Ichigo answered.

 **"Approved,"** Artoria replied.

 **"Is this battle against evil?"** Artoria asked.

"Yes," Ichigo replied.

 **"Approved,"** Altria said.

 **"Do you gain anything from this?"** Altria asked.

"No,"

 **"Approved,"** Artoria replied.

 **"Is this battle fought inhumanely?"** Artoria asked.

"No,"

 **"Approved,"** Altria said.

 **"Do you wish to live through this battle?"** Altria asked.

"Yes,"

 **"Approved,"** Artoria replied.

"This is a battle to save this world!" Ichigo exclaimed.

They said together, **""Approved.""**

Aizen watched as new blade appeared in front of Ichigo. The blade appears to have a black hilt on one side and a blue hilt on the other. It has a silver blade with black squares etched on the blade. **(1)**

Ichigo raised his new sword at the sky and brought it down. "Excalibur Morgan!" All of Ichigo's Reiatsu was poured out of the sword, striking Aizen precisely in half. It was a massive, golden-and-black force which savagely cut down everything laid in its path.

They watched as Ichigo's attack faded away up in the sky with a deafening, grinding noise. After that, the sword reverted back to two swords like before. Ichigo and the girls landed neatly on the ground, but then they heard a thud at a distance away.

It was Aizen, and his body was healing from Excalibur and Morgan's attack.

"He is still able to regenerate?" Ichigo asked.

Aizen was standing, still holding his sword which was disintegrating slowly.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you lose. Observe," he said softly, holding out his Zanpakutō for Ichigo to see. "My Zanpakutō is fading away. You should know what that means," His voice grew more victorious as he went on, excitement causing him to lose his cool, usual manner. "The Hōgyoku has determined I have no need for a Zanpakutō! Like you, I have become one with the Zanpakutō and its powers. In fact, you no longer have that power, while I will reach a level far beyond that of yours!"

"It's over! Ichigo Kurosaki!" But Aizen's smile turned into a grimace. A red glowing spike appeared from his chest, as if he was impaled. Then a second, third, fourth, and fifth had appeared in a cross-like shape.

"What… is this?" He gasped and stumbled backwards. "Kidō? But when was I attacked?"

"It seems it's finally taking effect," A new voice said, as a figure appeared suddenly a little way away. Ichigo, his girlfriends, and Aizen looked up in shock at this new arrival.

"Kisuke Urahara, is this your doing?!" Aizen snarled, taking another step backwards.

"Yes," Urahara replied. "Before you were able to completely transform, when you were most vulnerable, I planted a Kidō into another Kidō and shot it into your body. It's a seal. I figured once you fused with the Hōgyoku, killing you would be nearly impossible. So, I invented a new Kidō to seal you off."

Aizen, who had been scowling all the time Urahara was talking, grinned unexpectedly.

"Is that so?" He laughed, "I hate to disappoint you. See!" Aizen held up his sword which had almost dissolved to the hilt. "At this moment, I am about to evolve even further. You can't seal me off… with this level of Kidō!"

But the moment he said those words, Aizen's protective form broke away from his right arm, crumbling into dust along with his sword.

"What?" He looked at his arm in shock. He was losing power, and fast. "What's happening?"

"It's the Hōgyoku's will," Urahara answered simply, "The reason the seal I shot into your body is only taking effect now is because your powers have weakened." He then looked gratefully at Ichigo. "It was thanks to Kurosaki-san. It was able to take effect because he fought this hard and pushed you to your limit,"

Aizen looked from his hand, to Urahara, not wanting to believe what he was saying.

"The Hōgyoku is saying it does not recognize you as its master," Urahara stated, looking back to Aizen who was glaring at him.

"That's absurd. That can't be. There's no way!" Aizen was hunched in pain; the red spikes were now sticking out of his back as well. Then, from the feet up wards, Aizen was slowly being increased by a red covering. It was the seal.

"Kisuke… Kisuke Urahara!" He spat, his voice raising with each syllable. "I despise you! With your great intellect, why don't you take action?" Aizen's arms were now being sealed, "Why do you subjugate yourself to that thing?"

"'That thing'… you mean the Soul King? I understand now… you saw, didn't you? Without the existence of the Soul King, the Soul Society would split apart. The Soul King is the keystone. Without the keystone in its place, it would fall apart easily. That's how the world is."

"THAT'S THE ARGUMENT A LOSER WOULD MAKE!" Aizen roared, now fighting the seal, breaking his hands free and pushing it away from himself. "A VICTOR MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OF HOW THE WORLD SHOULD BE, RATHER THAN HOW THE WORLD IS!"

Aizen then turned to where Ichigo was.

"ICHIGO KUROSAKI!" Aizen yelled, as the seal began solidifying up his legs, stopping the boy in his tracks. "With all your power, why do you do nothing with it!? Why do you still pretend to be a Shinigami when you could rule them all!?" He asked while glaring at the back of a head of orange hair.

Ichigo kept looking at Aizen without blinking an eye.

"Aizen, there's something I think never occurred to you with all your intelligence," Ichigo began. He wanted to get his point across before the man was sealed away. "This world isn't shaped by gods and transcendent beings; it's shaped by the people who live in it, by their actions and decisions. I would much rather be one of them, than a lonely king ruling everything."

Whether or not he understood Ichigo's words didn't seem to matter.

"THAT IS MOST CHILDISH…!" Aizen screamed, attempting to claw at the seal which almost completely covered him. "…IMMATURE!" More solid Reishi formed to replace the bit he pulled off, and merely reinforced it. "…RIDICULOUS EXCUSE I HAVE EVER-"

The seals finally covered his mouth and face, moulding together until a skinny cross seal sat where Aizen once stood. When the seal had covered him completely, it stretched and thinned into three spiked poles. Ichigo turned his head at the very last second. To think a person could be sealed away in something like that!

The clouds parted and sunlight poked through. Slowly, but surely, sunlight appeared back over Karakura Town.

"It is finally over…" Ichigo said, nodding off and falling asleep.

"Ichigo!" Urahara exclaimed. "Is he alright?" He looked at his lovers.

 **"Don't worry, he's fine…"** Artoria replied.

 **"After all has happened, the exhaustion finally kicked in,"** Altria stated.

"Let's get him to everyone else," Urahara said, looking at the girls.

Urahara kneeled down and carried him as they vanished using their speed techniques. They went to where the wounded Shinigamis were.

"So he actually succeeded where we failed?" Captain Yamamoto said, looking at the fast asleep and snoring Ichigo, whom Artoria and Altria held onto when they arrived a few minute later. "This young man truly is a unique individual."

"You got that right, Old Man Yama," Captain Kyoraku agreed with a grin as he stood beside him.

"Aizen is defeated, but we still have his aftermath to deal with…" Yamamoto stated looking around the area. "The 4th Squad medics have already spread out to help the wounded. Captain Unohana, I will trust you to go deal with those who're more injured then the others. Lieutenant Kotetsu, you will take Ichigo Kurosaki back to the Soul Society and remain there, to make sure he gets better as soon as he can,"

* * *

 **The Next Day**

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly while yawning, and adjusting to his surroundings, which he was sure was the 4th Squad medical barracks. He also noticed someone was snoring and curled up against him, and looked to find Artoria and Altria… who, in his opinion, both looked really cute.

"So your finally awake, Ichigo," A gentle female voice said, getting his attention. "It certainly is about time."

"Captain Unohana?" Ichigo asked, looking over at the doorway. "How long have I've been here, exactly?"

"Only for one day, so you don't have to worry," Unohana replied, walking into the room. "You were quite exhausted,"

"It does seem like that," Ichigo said, and noticed groans coming from the two girls.

 **"I see you have finally decided to wake up, sleeping beauty,"** Altria said, rubbing her eyes.

 **"What she means to say is that we were a little worried,"** Artoria said, making her counterpart red as she huffed and turned around.

"You can talk about that later, but for right now. You have some friends who will no doubt be happy to hear about you waking up," Unohana said.

Ichigo nodded before speaking again. "Are they in the waiting area?"

"Not at the moment, though they were here for as long as they could," Unohana answered him. "Your friends are staying with Captain Kuchiki. I'll inform them of you waking up, of course."

"Oh, alright... Thanks Captain Unohana," Ichigo said, stretching his arms. "Can I… uh... When can I leave here?"

"Hmm…? Oh... You can leave now if you wish," Unohana replied, softly. "You seem to have fully recovered from your exhaustion of the battle against Aizen, so I see no need for you to have to stay here... You may leave."

"Thank you for taking care of me." Ichigo bowed.

"You don't have to thank me; I was just doing my job," Unohana said with a warm smile. Ichigo and the girls made their way to Byakuya's manor in Seireitei.

After meeting up with his friends, Ichigo, Artoria and Altria went to the 1st Squad as they reported to the Head Captain about their battle with Aizen.

"IMBECILES!" Yamamoto yelled at the three captains already present, loud enough to force Ichigo and the girls to shield their ears from the shout. "How dare you lose your captain's Haori?! I might be able to overlook tearing them, but to lose then altogether?! And then you have the gall to look at me as if nothing had happened!"

"Please do not be concerned, Head Captain. I am quite happy to pay for replacements for such cheap Haori," Byakuya said calmly, which made Ichigo, Altria and even Artoria chuckle.

"That is not the point! And they're not cheap either, you witless fool! Now listen to me... There's more to a battle than just winning it at all costs! Just what do you knaves think a captain's Haori is?!" Yamamoto yelled.

"A pain," Zaraki said, bored.

"Cheap cloth," Byakuya said emotionlessly.

"Fashion?" Shunsui said, already drunk.

"Protection from cold," Ichigo said, tilting his head to the left.

 **"To show-off,"** Altria said with a snort.

 **"Showing your status as Captain,"** Artoria said seriously.

Yamamoto gets a big tic mark on his head. "Except for that blue Zanpakutō spirit, all of you are… A PACK OF MISERABLE BUFFOONS!" Yamamoto yelled, and Altria looks at Zaraki.

 **"So how many heart attacks has he had?"** Altria asked, as Kenpachi smiled at that, and Yamamoto got even more pissed.

"YOU IDIOT CHILD!" Yamamoto yelled again.

* * *

 **Evening**

After a long lecture from Yamamoto about respecting the elders and traditions, he let them go. Ukitake informed Ichigo and others that Aizen was imprisoned for 20,000 years. Everyone was celebrating the victory, as there was a big festival going in Rukongai, as most of the Shinigami were enjoying themselves with getting drunk. As for Ichigo, he was currently waiting for his partners. The two girls had decided after the battle it would be good to relax a little by enjoying the festival.

Ichigo was currently sitting on the hallway, which was connected to the garden of the Kuchiki mansion, waiting for the girls – Rukia and Orihime were dressing them up. Ichigo was wearing a black Yukata with purple sash and a purple Haori, swinging his right leg forward and backward being bored waiting for them, as he looked up at the night sky and sighed.

 _'Just how long will they take?'_ Ichigo thought.

"Sorry for the wait, Ichigo."

His wish was soon granted as he heard a voice from behind. When he turned back, his eyes widened as large as a plate, and for some good few seconds, he even forgot to breathe because of the incredible sight in front of him.

Artoria was wearing a white kimono with blue flower designs on it, along with a blue obi. Her hair was in her usual bun, but she had a same flower on the right side of hair as the ones in her kimono. She was also wearing some light pink lipstick.

Altria was wearing a black kimono with red flower designs on it, along with a red obi. Her hair was also in her usual bun, and she also had a same flower on her right side of hair as the ones in her kimono. Just like Artoria, she was also wearing some light pink lipstick.

 **"Will you say something, or just stare at us all night?"** Altria said.

 **"I don't like dressing up too much, but I would also like to hear your thoughts about our clothing,"** Artoria said.

"Y-You two look really beautiful. I was completely surprised at how gorgeous you two are," Ichigo said with a huge blush on his face. His compliment made them blush as well.

" **T-Thank you Ichigo,"** Altria said with a blush, twirling her hair nervously.

 **"I-I am h-happy to hear that,"** Artoria said with the same blush.

"Well, then, you three love birds… enjoy," Rukia teased.

"Have fun, you three!" Orihime said.

"We will see you two later," Ichigo said.

The three of them left the Kuchiki manor and headed to the festival. As expected, the place was brawling with crowd. Everyone were enjoying themselves. Most of the men were looking at the Hero of the Winter War and his partners as they passed. All of the men, and even some girls, were charmed by the Zanpakutō spirits as to how beautiful they looked.

"Now that I think of it, this is the first festival you two have come to, right?" Ichigo asked.

 **"We have seen through you what happens in these festivals,"** Altria answered with a thoughtful look.

 **"But this is our first time coming to one in reality,"** Altria continued.

"Well, then, I will do my best to make it memorable for you two," Ichigo said.

 **"We will take you on it then,"** Altria replied.

"So, is there something you two want to do first?" Ichigo asked.

 **"I don't know… What about you, Sister?"** Altria asked and looked to Ichigo's other side, but saw no one.

She and Ichigo looked around, then turned back, and saw Artoria looking at a ring tossing booth. The two of them went to her.

"What are you looking at, Artoria?" Ichigo asked.

" **Oh, it's that,"** Artoria pointed at a pair lion stuffed animals.

"Stuffed animals? Do you like them?" Ichigo asked.

 **"I find it very charming… Those ones resemble lions!"** Artoria looked at Ichigo and her counterpart. **"Do you two find it odd?"**

Ichigo giggled a little. "Actually, lions fit your image perfectly. Do you want it?"

 **"If it is not too much of a bother,"** Artoria said, blushing slightly.

Altria pulled Ichigo's right sleeve as he saw Altria was also blushing a little.

"Do you want one as well?" Ichigo asked. She replied with a small nod while looking away to hide her blush.

"How much?" Ichigo asked the booth attendant.

"1 ring, 100 Ryō, and 5 rings, 400 Ryō," the attendant replied.

"1 ring, please." Ichigo handed the attendant the money.

Ichigo lined up his shot, and tossed the ring with a lazy, almost carefree swing, watching as it slides on the pair of the lions.

"Wow, you did it with only one try," The attendant said with amazement as he handed Ichigo the lions, and he in turn handed them to the girls.

 **"Thank you, Ichigo,"** Artoria said, holding the lion close to her chest.

 **"Thanks."** Altria mimicked Artoria's actions.

"It was nothing." Ichigo combed a hand through his hair. "We should try some of the food stalls,"

 **"You are right,"** Artoria agreed. **"I want to eat Ikayaki and Okonomiyaki."**

 **"I want to try those things called Takoyaki and Yakisoba,"** Altria said.

"Then let's go! What are we waiting for?" Ichigo smiled and started to walk.

After having their share of food, they were ready to see the fireworks Kūkaku was in charge of. Right now, the three of them were walking thought the forest.

 **"Ichigo, where are we headed to?"** Artoria asked.

"Well, Kūkaku told me a great spot to see the fireworks, so that is where we are going," Ichigo answered.

 **"You met her recently?"** Altria asked curiously.

"I ran into her this morning in Rukngai. She said we will get a really good look from the place we are heading to," Ichigo explained. "And here we are."

With that said, the girls looked at the sky and saw they indeed had a clear view, away from all the crowds. Soon the fireworks started as the three of them looked at it with excitement and awe.

 **"We should thank Kūkaku for telling us about such a good place,"** Artoria said.

 **"For once, I am glad I know that psycho woman,"** Altria chuckled.

"You shouldn't call her that, you know," Ichigo also chuckled a little.

 **"It really is beautiful,"** Artoria said looking at the fireworks.

 **"I agree,"** Altria said.

"Yeah... really beautiful…" Ichigo said, but he wasn't really looking at the fireworks. Instead, he was looking at the girls as multiple colors from the fireworks bathed them with a beautiful glow.

Then, at the same time, Ichigo and the girls turned their heads to each other, staring into each other's eyes.

When Ichigo looked at them, it was like love at first sight, again. The glow from fireworks made them breathtakingly beautiful, even though they were already beautiful enough normally. It seemed they just couldn't get any more beautiful. He felt some heat rise to his cheeks as he stared at them.

When Artoria and Altria looked at him, the same could be said with their emotions. His hazel eyes were their favorite part about him, physically at least. His eyes, which could look right through someone's soul, and was always seemingly glowing. They could get lost in them for so long, They really could. They also felt heat rising to their cheeks.

Ichigo brought Artoria closer as their faces grew closer to each other. With Ichigo being taller, he leaned his head down. With every inch they moved closer to each other, their eyes slowly closed… until finally, their lips met. Her soft lips pressed against his. Her hands trailed up his chest then wrapped around his neck pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. His hands trailed down her waist and wrapped around it pulling her closer also. Both of their eyes closed shut, their bodies pressed against each other. After a while, they separated as a trail of saliva was linked to their lips.

Ichigo then pulled Altria closer and started caressing her intimately and passionately, like he did with Artoria. He moved toward her and immediately gave her a passionate kiss, with Altria immediately answering back. They weren't taking any breaks, and after a while, Altria felt his tongue exploring the insides of her mouth. She felt a little weak after that, while he only wanted more and more of her taste. After a minute of kissing, they had to separate reluctantly because of the need for air. Like with Artoria, she also had a trail of saliva conned to his lips.

Forgetting the things around them, nothing else mattered right now, their focus was just on each other. Staring each other, taking in the passionate moment they had just shared.

 **"It seems… the fireworks are over,"** Artoria said, breaking the silence.

"It ended when we were busy… doing that," Ichigo said blushing.

 **"You mean when we were tasting each other?"** Altria said, making him and Artoria blush.

"A-Altria!" Ichigo yelled.

 **"S-Sister… you shouldn't just say it like t-that!"** Artoria said, blushing like Ichigo.

 **"Calm down, you two. Besides, it's not like this was our first kiss,"** Altria said chuckled.

 **"Ichigo and I are just not comfortable showing affections in public places,"** Artoria retorted.

Altria chuckled at her embracement. **"I had a really great time, Ichigo,"** she said with a small smile.

 **"Same for me,"** Artoria said.

"I did too," Ichigo agreed. "We should go to another date like this someday again,"

 **"Hmm, it would be fun** ," Altria agreed.

 **"I agree, it will certainly be enjoyable experience like we had this evening,"** Artoria said.

After a moment they headed back to the Kuchiki Manor as they enjoyed the silence with each other.

* * *

 ** _Next time: Old life and New trouble_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	10. Old life and New trouble

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _A.N- Chapter 1-5 have been updated by my new beta tester ekaterina016. Check it out._**

 ** _Beta Tester: ekaterina016_**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 10:_** ** _Old life and New trouble_**

* * *

It's been a year and five months since the Winter War has ended.

Ichigo's group usually took care of the occasional errant Hollows, with barely anything changing in their routine. The most exceptional thing which had happened was perhaps Karin's Reiatsu's tremendous growth, which fortunately didn't reach the same explosion Ichigo had in his teenage years. All in all, as they graduated into their third year, everything's peaceful…

"Onii-chan, Onē-chan! Wake up, its morning!" Yuzu yelled from downstairs, calling the now-taller – albeit just slightly – trio who were sleeping together, like always.

"Five more minutes…" Altria muttered, still groggy, burying her face into Ichigo's chest.

"No can do, Sister. Wake up!" Artoria said, though her twin ignored her.

With a smirk, Ichigo whispered something about 'Yuzu' and 'food' into Altria's ear, which worked wonders, as she got up in the blink of an eye. "Let's get ready! We have to go to school soon!" Altria said with determination, barreling into the bathroom to get ready.

After they're ready, Ichigo and the girls went downstairs to see both Yuzu and Karin in their new school uniforms. "Ta-da!" Yuzu said, twirling to show her new uniform off to them, to which Ichigo blinked in surprise.

"Oh, yeah. Today is when you start middle school, right?"

""It looks good on you, Yuzu,"" Artoria and Altria complemented together, much to her joy.

However, instead of following suit, Ichigo flatly asked, "Can you pass me the soy sauce, Karin?"

\- BAM!

The hopeful Yuzu slammed the bottle onto the table, before darkly saying, "Here's your soy sauce!" She angrily turned around towards the counter.

"Ichigo, you really should be nicer to your sister and not ignore her. Compliment her, at least. Girls like that," Artoria said, sweat-dropping.

"I'm not angry! I waited right until the day of the ceremony just to show you two and Onii-chan how I looked in my uniform...and he barely noticed!" Yuzu said, getting some rice out if the microwave. "Not that I care! Just for that, I'm not serving Onii-chan the tasty burnt parts of the rice!"

Ichigo just turned to his food nonchalantly. "Your skirt is unzipped," He pointed out, making Yuzu blush in embarrassment. "See? I _was_ looking."

"You stupid perverted brother!"

Karin then stabs a ghost in his glasses with her chopsticks, drawing their attention.

"Karin, do you know that man?" Ichigo asked, looking worried.

"No," Karin said without a care in the world.

"Yuzu! Look, Yuzu! How's my suit? Does the necktie or the bowtie go better?" Isshin said, showing off the former, full of stars, and the polka-dotted latter one.

"They both look disgusting, just like your monkey suit, so I'd say get a better suit and a striped tie," Altria honestly and cruelly said while eating, crumpling Isshin to the ground, shedding tears.

"S-So cruel!" Isshin yelled.

"They both look fine," Artoria said.

"Doesn't matter." Yuzu said, not really caring.

" _Doesn't matter?!_ Don't say that, Yuzu! Take a good look!" Isshin pleaded, not knowing which to choose.

"They're both fine. Whatever," The girl said, motioning 'go away' with her hand, as Altria chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"A job done well, Yuzu," Altria said, smiling, which she replied with a smile.

In the past year, Yuzu had started to mimic Altria's actions and tone, completely unexpectedly. They all thought she'd become more similar to Artoria… but Karin became that eventually, with her twin sister resembling the other woman more.

" _'Whatever'_?!" Isshin said, shocked.

"Thanks for breakfast," Ichigo said.

"You keep getting better and better Yuzu." Artoria complemented.

"Another meal fit for our stature," Altria said.

"It's nothing." Yuzu blushed and smiled. "I just try my best."

The three of them got up and walked by Isshin, who was still in shock, and left the house.

"Seventeen months since the battle against Aizen," Altria muttered.

"Time has really flown by," Artoria said, smiling as they nodded.

"I'm still a little surprised Chad, Uryū, and Orihime told everyone about us. Everyone even believed them right away." Ichigo said.

"Well, there really isn't much room for doubt after seeing it with your own eyes," Altria said, smiling gladly.

In the side of their house, the three of then saw Mizuiro busy with his phone, who hadn't changed much himself either, except for his now-straight and longer, ear-covering hair. "Morning," he greeted.

"Have a good day, Onii-chan, Onē-chan!" Yuzu yelled, waving.

The three of them turned back to see Yuzu, Karin, and Isshin leave.

"Will do, take care!" Ichigo said as the three of them waved back. After that, the four of them left for school.

* * *

 **Karakura Highschool**

Naturally, as their responsibilities slackened after graduating onto their third years, most of the students sported longer hair, new accessories, or both, such as Keigo's straighter-hair and longer bangs.

His demeanour didn't change, unfortunately. Shouting and jumping at Ichigo, he was simply flipped over by his leg and slammed onto his back, pinned by the neck to the ground by the orange-haired boy. "Ichigo! Ichigo! I tap... I'm tapping out!"

"Oh, sorry," Ichigo said, letting him go, as the other students simply passed this 'regular' morning scene, including the twins and Mizuiro.

Class went as normal, with him strangely comparing how much everyone's changed and stayed the same altogether. Tatsuki's hair had grown tremendously, almost the same length as Orihime, and the girl spoke to him about a game he borrowed. Uryū's exit from the class to fulfil his responsibilities in the nurse's office was always a sight to watch, as his mannerism was always borderline rude to the attending teachers.

In their break time, they converged at the rooftop, though the girls were still talking in class.

"Hey, have you decided what you want to do in the future?" Keigo asked, looking straight ahead.

"You mean about our carrier?" Ichigo asked, sipping his juice. "…I'm not fully sure."

"We're going to have career guidance counselling at the end of the semester. You have to make your decision soon. You had good grades back when you entered high school, but they plummeted in the second half of the first semester," Keigo said.

"You know back then how much I had, so, I couldn't help it. Besides, my grades are getting better than before," Ichigo said, looking at the sky.

"I wonder what Rukia's up to these days?" Keigo said, surprising him.

"Why'd you bring her up all of a sudden?"

"She could have visited us once in a while. It's really cold of her not to come and visit us even once." Keigo complained, lazily laying on the ground.

"It is only natural of her to not come. She was long relieved of her duty in Karakura." Ichigo said.

"Do you not miss her?" Keigo teased.

"Not at all. It is nice to have some peace rather than a violent, loud-mouthed, good-for-nothing midget running around," Ichigo coldly said, walking ahead. "Besides, things have been calm and normal."

"There's that too." Keigo got up. "I don't want to go through something that scary again."

They both left the roof and went back to the class.

After the school ended, Ichigo and the girls headed back to their home, along with Keigo and Mizuiro. As they were walking peacefully, they heard someone yelling from behind, clearly chasing someone. "Hey, you!"

Ichigo and the others look surprised and stopped, as a thief pushed past them, clutching a bag in his hand.

"Stop, damn it! Give me back my bag, you bastard!" The man yelled, passing them.

Sighing, Ichigo passed his bag to Artoria. "Here."

"Go and show him what happens when someone tries to steal from another," Artoria said.

"Kick some butt," Altria said.

Ichigo easily sprinted pass the chasing victim, gaining his attention, as he then grabbed the bag snatcher and turned him around.

"Huh…?" He could barely say when Ichigo punched him in the face, knocking out a few teeth.

However, the man was experienced. Instead of cowering in pain, he immediately got up and brought out a knife from his pocket, swinging it, but Ichigo caught it easily. He punched him in the face again, _much_ harder this time, and the thief was finally knocked out and fell to the ground. Ichigo grabbed the bag and walked towards the stranger.

"That was pretty cool! Thanks!" The man said, taking his bag back. "You hungry? I'll treat you to ramen or something. Sounds good, right?" He offered.

"I'll pass. I'll have hell to pay if people find out later, so please keep the fact I beat that guy up to yourself," Ichigo said, taking his bag back from Artoria.

"R-Right. That's too bad..." The man awkwardly gave up.

"Let's go, everyone," Ichigo said and they all start walking away.

He smiled inwardly, thumbing the Substitute Shinigami badge in his bag. ' _What's this? You're more cautious than I thought... Ichigo Kurosaki.'_

* * *

 **Next Day**

After a moment Ichigo and the girls woke up the door of their room was opened as Isshin got in aiming for Ichigo's head. But he moved away his head as Isshin went by and fly out from the window. Somehow he managed to grab the window as was hanging in.

"What's wrong with you ?! Are you crazy?! What if dad fell over? What if dad died?" Isshin yelled at him.

"If you had died, say hi to Kenpachi for me ok," Altria said and punched Isshin in the face making him fall down and hit the ground.

"S-So cruel," Isshin said in pain as Ichigo closed the window.

* * *

 **Karakura Highschool**

After the school ended Ichigo and the girls were leaving for the home when they met Tatsuki in front of the school building.

"Huh, you are going home?" Tatsuki said surprised.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied.

"I thought that the basketball club was paying you for your service," Tatsuki voiced.

"That finished last month and I don't offer my services anymore," Ichigo said.

"Why is that?" She asked confused.

"Because he has to study. His grades can be better if he will focus on his studies." Artoria said with a serious voice.

"And there is your answer to why I don't do that anymore," Ichigo said.

"What about you? Do you not have your Karate club?" Altria asked.

"Didn't I tell you; I am working as assistant instructors at my dojo from last month," Tatsuki answered.

"Huh? You're an assistant instructor? Are you sure that you have what it takes to be a teacher?" Ichigo asked Tatsuki as her eye twitches.

"How about I show you if I have it or not?" Tatsuki asked with an evil look in her eyes.

"Ichigo! Tatsuki! Artoria! Altria!" Orihime yelled at the window drawing there attention.

"Hey, Orihime!" Ichigo said. Orihime then jumped out the window and grabbed onto a poll smiling.

"Are you crazy?!" Altria yelled.

"You will fall!" Ichigo yelled looking away from her.

"Cover your panties!" Artoria yelled.

After Orihime slides down she got a hard bonk on her head by the courtesy of Tatsuki.

"That hurt..." Orihime said in pain holding her head staring at the very angry Tatsuki.

"You're damn right it did! You pull any more dangerous crap like that again, and I'll show you a real punch!" Tatsuki yelled showing her fist.

"Stronger than that one? My head will split in two!" Orihime said with tears in her eyes.

"Tatsuki, calm down. It was only a stupid stunt." Ichigo said making Tatsuki angry.

"Shut up! You have no right to lecture me on how to teach Orihime a lesson!" Tatsuki yelled.

"So when you're teaching the students at the dojo, do you use your fists and hurt them?" Ichigo said making her angrier.

"Keep talking and I'll show you that I can beat you in 10 seconds!" Tatsuki yelled.

"You certainly haven't forgotten who you are talking to, have you?" Ichigo asked smirking.

"Um, actually, I wanted to ask you all for advice on something..." Orihime said.

"Advice?" All of them asked.

"Yeah. The thing is... I'm composing a background theme for my life so that at exactly the right moments, a musician can cheer me on to the tune of the Do-Re-Mi song, and it'll be an energetic happy song full of laughter..." Orihime said.

"And what is that counts as "Exactly the right moments?" Artoria asked.

"To be honest I have been humming it only not singing it." She said crying comically.

"I think that is a good thing," Altria said.

"Why do you think that is?" Orihime asked smiling.

"Because you have grown up," Tatsuki said petting her on head.

"Wrong answer!" Orihime exclaimed with her eyes looking like three's scaring Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria.

"How did do that?!" Ichigo said shocked pointing at Orihime's eyes.

"Your eyes look like number threes!" Artoria said shocked.

"How, just how can anyone do something like that?" Altria asked.

"Orihime, your face pulling skills have truly grown..." Tatsuki said proud of her.

"I can't decide it! Should "Do" stand for "Doom" or "Downing Sake", so I'm stuck", Orihime said showing a drawing. "Which do you think is best?" Orihime said looking at them smiling.

"Whichever." All four said at the same time.

"Oh, yeah! I don't have time for this stuff." Tatsuki said.

"What's wrong, Tatsuki?" Orihime said.

"My part-time job. You've got one too, right? You'd better get back." Tatsuki said.

With that said, Tatsuki left for her dojo. Orihime also went inside the school to bring her bag. Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria also started to leave but stopped by a female yelling. They went to the school gate and saw some thugs in front of the school gate.

"Is there a son of a bitch named Kurosaki at this school? Get your ass out here!" A fat guy who looked like their leader yelled.

"Which decade is he from?" Ichigo asked.

"That buffoon must be angry at you for something?" Altria said wondering why he and his gang are here.

"That guy broke seven of my boy's teeth. Seriously, seven, what's wrong with you two?! Normally it would be two at most!" He yelled and both recognize the guy who was stealing that man's bag.

"So, that thief works for him," Artoria said.

"I know you are listening. You must be scared, wondering how I found out your name! You don't know anything! My boy saw your faces real clear! Plenty of ways to find you after that. Anyway, Kurosaki! Until you get out here, me and my boys from Miyasho High are taking over this gate!" He yelled while Uryū is walking towards them.

"Hey, guys! Would you kindly give this outdated nonsense a rest? Can't you see you're inconveniencing everyone here? Now, you look reasonably bright for Kurosaki's friends. You should at least be able to understand what in saying. Now, hurry up she go home." Uryū said walking to them.

"Huh, what's that? Are you Kurosaki?" A man said walking to Uryū looking like an idiot.

"Now that idiot has done it," Altria said.

"What was that?" Uryū asked and hits the man in the face sending him skidding back into a pole hitting it and making it bend.

"What the hell did you do?! Are you taking us lightly?" The leader yelled.

"That would be my line. Didn't you say you got a good look at his faces? In what possible way could I resemble Ichigo?" Uryū asked.

"What's with you, Four-Eyes?" The leader said staring at him.

"I take it all back. You don't have to go home. Or rather, none of you should expect to be able to walk away." Uryū said.

"What does that idiot think he's doing? Is he trying to make things worse?" Ichigo asked.

"Who knows?" Altria said.

"You son of a bitch! Get him!" He yelled and they all charge. Before they could attack Uryū Ichigo slams one of the guys faces into the ground.

"Owoeowowowowowowowow!" The guy yelled from Ichigo bending his leg backward.

"Hey! One... Two... Three... Four...", Ichigo said while the guy is tapping out. Uryū then kicks Ichigo in the back making him stop.

"Why'd you do that for?, Uryū?!" Ichigo yelled angrily at Uryū getting back up.

"I should be asking you that. Why did you come out?" Uryū asked.

"Why?! To get you to back off!" Ichigo said as the girls just stared at Ichigo.

"That's the guy, Obuta!" The guy yells pointing at them.

"Him?" Obuta said looking at them.

"He is the one who did this to me!" He yelled looking at Ichigo.

"You're the idiot who tried to steal that guy's bag. You deserved it you jackass." Altria said.

"Sh-Shut up!" He yelled.

"Enough with taking! Prepare to have your-" He was cut off by Ichigo and Uryū punching him in the face as Obuta fell backward.

"Damn it, we ain't done with you guys yet!" They yell and before they could react. Ichigo kneed one of them in the stomach and throws another guy ramming into one of his friends. All of them begin dodging hit punching them.

"You've been doing too much Hollow hunting lately! What's going to happen I'd Soul Society starts to notice?" Ichigo asked taking two guys down.

"Hollow hunting? It's Hollow extermination! Don't make it sound like I am doing it just for fun! And for the record, I only do it when there's a request from the Urahara Store!" Uryū said.

"Did you forget the fact that he was a wanted man in Soul Society until just recently?" Ichigo asked elbowing a guy in the stomach.

"In any case, this isn't the time or place for that sort of conversation! Text me later!" Uryū said.

"Wait! When did you get a phone?!" Ichigo asked still fighting the thugs.

"Urahara gave it to me after I helped out at the store," Uryū said bringing out the phone.

"I'll bet that's the kind of phone that doesn't work in this world," Ichigo said seeing the phone Uryū was holding up.

"Kurosaki!" someone said drawing their attention as the thugs moved out of the way showing a man holding a bat. "It's good to see you looking healthy as ever! You remember me, right?"

Ichigo blinked and asked. "Who?"

"What was that, you bastard?! I'm gonna rip out your-" He's cut off by someone kicking him in the back making him skid and stop at Ichigo's feet.

They all look and all the thugs were taken down easily.

"You look like you're having fun... Ichigo" She said smiling darkly at him.

"She's calling your name," Uryū said looking at Ichigo. "Do you know her?"

"I worked for her for some time during the summer break," Ichigo answered. Soon the woman caught Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria and then dragged them to her van and left.

"Amazing... It took her less than a second to fold the three of them like laundry and took them away. Who was she?" Uryū said amazed.

"What should we do now Yoko-chin?" Obuta asked as all the thugs lied on the ground.

"Don't call me Yoko-chin." He replied.

* * *

 **Unagiya Shop**

"Why don't you learn to leave me alone?" Ichigo asked, as he and the girls sat on the sofa.

"I'm just trying to make sure my employee makes it to work on time!" Ikumi said aggressively.

"And I keep telling you I don't want to work for you anymore…" Ichigo sighed.

This whole thing started several months ago. He was just minding his own business when he walked by this store, and the woman poked her head out the door as he passed by and asked if he wanted a job. He had accepted the job but now because it was his final year at school Artoria had forced him to leave the job and focus on his studies.

"Why don't you help me out of the goodness of your heart? You know… helping a single mother who is shorthanded would look good for you," she said, giving him the warm, friendly face she only reserved for her child.

"Puppy eyes don't work on me," Ichigo said. "Besides, yours suck."

"Why do you want him specifically for your shop?" Altria asked.

"I already told you three, he is the strongest person I've ever seen. I knew with one look at him, and I knew he could handle any job thrown at him!" She said energetically, disappointed her earlier efforts failed, sitting across from them.

However, they're interrupted by her son's voice. "Mommy… where are you?" Kaoru said, walking towards the door as Ikumi turned to it. "I'm hungry…"

It's clear the woman's acting skills were quite good, as her stern 'boss' expression completely evaporated into a sweet, caring, motherly look.

She rushed off to cater to her son, who made a strange expression when he got a glimpse of Ichigo and his girlfriends. It's less of an animosity sourcing from jealousy, but more… _fear_.

Unlike his old self, Ichigo would take no fools from anyone, no matter how old they were. People who needed to be respected deserved it, and he strived to be just that kind of person. A child's misgivings didn't really bother him, but what if Kaoru did that to an unsavoury person and brought trouble to his mother? Much as Ichigo didn't want to work in Unagiya, he at least cared for Ikumi as a human being.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"A customer?" Ikumi muttered, going to the door and opened it. "Hello, and welcome to the Unagiya Shop!"

Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw said 'customer'.

"Hey, want some ramen?" The man offered, holding up a bowl of noodles.

"No thanks, this is an eel shop," Ichigo replied seriously.

"No, it's not!" Ikumi retorted.

He sort-of forced his way in, so the adults didn't really have a choice but to sit down with him.

"So, who are you?" Altria asked.

"You don't remember me?" The man asked, looking hurt. "You were with him when he stopped that thief who stole my bag, right?"

Altria searched through her memories over the past few days, and eventually, she vaguely recoiled him doing something of the sort earlier that day. "Oh, what a coincidence running into you here."

"You came here looking for a job done, right?" Ikumi asked.

"Yes, that's right." He pulled out a photograph and placed it on the table. "I need you to investigate this man."

Ichigo stiffened when he saw that photo. _'That's… Otō-san?!'_

Any pretence of manners flew out of the window, as he slapped his palm over the picture. "That's my _father_. So, what do you want to know so badly you would be desperate enough to hire her?"

The man raised an eyebrow in question. "How much do you _really_ know about Isshin Kurosaki?"

"You mean the fact of him being a former Shinigami, who married a Quincy, and settled here in Karakura?" Altria blurted out bluntly, making the man's eyes widen in surprise.

"What?!" Ginjo didn't expect them to know that much about his family already.

"Yeah, we know all of that, and _you_ also know that, so what is it that you want?" Artoria asked.

"That… we shouldn't talk about this stuff in front of the lady here…?" He gestured to the human in the room, who's looking at them both with confusion, not understanding what they were talking about.

"I'll handle this," Altria said. "You see, Ikumi, his father was part of a gang called the 'Shinigami' a long time ago. They had a rival gang called the 'Quincy', which his mother was a part of. The two of them met, fell in love, left their gangs, moved to Karakura and got married."

"Oh, I see!" The woman seemed convinced.

After some more pleasantries and smooth lies, Ichigo, Artoria, Altria and the man left the store, discussing outside.

When they're out of earshot, Ichigo immediately grabbed the man's collar, bashing and pinning him into a nearby wall at a deserted alley. Altria and Artoria stayed back, standing guard, but their aura made it clear the man should just answer Ichigo's questions.

"You know so much… So what's your play?" He growled.

The man didn't expect such a young man to be able to exert such pressure, enough to make him cold sweat. "L-Let's chill… a-and go to the U-Urahara Shop, shall we? There's something…"

"We already know about my sister. _You_ shouldn't. How did you know, and what do you want?"

"I-I'm just concerned…! D-Do you think you can trust a man like U-Urahara?! I'm doing you a favour here…!"

"Yeah, just cut the crap." He shoved the suspicious man back, declaring, "If you have to call up the names of the people I care about to get a reaction out of me, then you're not worth my time."

\- Pffwwttt…!

He promptly turned around and left, only to sharply manoeuvre his hand behind his head to catch a thrown business card.

Flipping it over a few times, he muttered, "Xcution… this your group, _Ginjo Kugo_?" The mention of the man's name was laced by venom, the one meaning 'I know who you are and where you live, so don't mess with me!' kind of sentence. "What's this for?"

"Just in case."

Loosening his collar and coughing a few times, Ginjo gingerly stumbled away from the group, who's still shooting daggers at his back with their stares.

* * *

 **Karakura Hospital**

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria rushed in, having received word Uryū was assaulted and heavily injured. Orihime was sitting guard in his room, and greeted the trio when they arrived.

"What about Chad?" Ichigo asked urgently. If there's someone targeting Uryū, then it's most likely his acquaintances were too.

"He's not answering his phone. At this time of day, he's probably still at the construction site." Orihime answered.

"He also hasn't even been to school lately," Altria said.

"You even phoned Ichigo? You're going completely overboard with this." Uryū said, grunting as he woke up.

"How did someone like you ended up like this?" Ichigo asked.

"I am not as infallible as you might think," Uryū replied with a frown.

"How did you get cut down so, easily?" Altria asked.

"He's still an amateur who recklessly let his guard down around an enemy," Ryūken said, disappointed, walking into the room. "Would you be so inclined to tell us who was it attacked you, my _son_?"

Uryū remained silent at his father's question, he figured it was his problem to deal with and his alone.

"Was it a guy in a suspended white shirt, always reading a book wherever he goes?" Ichigo inquired, stunning the Quincy into silence.

"How did you…?"

"Who do you mean, Ichigo?" Orihime asked.

"We have noticed him for a week now; he just appears from time to time," Artoria said.

"At first, we thought he might have been a spy or agent of the Gotei Thirteen coming to see what we have been doing, or perhaps Central 46 wanting to keep tabs on me, but now I think he's not affiliated with either of them," Ichigo said.

"Maybe you should find him and ask him why he attacked my son?" Ryūken suggested.

"I'll make sure to do that next time I see him... after I beat him to an inch of his life for doing this to Uryū," Ichigo said, with a scary smirk resembling that of Altria's. "Rest up and heal your wounds. I would bring that poor soul to you when I find him."

"Make sure you do it," Uryū muttered.

"You should also go home, Orihime," Ichigo said.

"I would drop her home in my car," Ryūken offered.

With that, Ichigo, Artoria and Altria left the recovery room.

"Do you think that boy is from Xcution?" Artoria asked.

"If so, then things will be simple, no?" Ichigo chuckled. "We'll just destroy them, along with that Ginjo guy."

No one messed with his friends and family and got away with it.

Of course, they'd give the group a chance. However, if their excuse wasn't good enough to justify _attacking_ Uryū, then they'd immediately take revenge.

He took out his phone and called the number on the back of Ginjo's card, receiving instructions from the call and arrived at a building somewhere away. "Yo!" Someone said from behind them. "Five minutes early? Aren't you guys professional?" Ginjo smiled, walking out from behind a lamppost.

"We came here to satisfy our curiosity," Altria said.

"I know you have questions, come with me and I'll answer them for you." Ginjo walked up to the steps to the apartment building, inviting Ichigo along, entering a room he earlier thought was going to be an apartment, but was surprised to see a dimly lit lounge, complete with their own bar.

"Well, you sure have a nice place." Ichigo complimented, following Ginjo to the sitting area. His eyes glanced over to a kid playing a PSP, a dark-skinned woman, and a man with one eye working the bar.

Sitting down, they began their pleasantries. Ginjo showcased a neat little trick, which was to manipulate the Reishi inside his offered drink to levitate it into his mouth. Having witnessed many strange abilities in their lives, the trio wasn't really surprised, but was certainly impressed by Ginjo's control. What followed was a history of Xcution and their Fullbrings, along with the introduction of its members.

\- Clack.

"Ichigo…? What're you doing here?" A familiar deep voice – Chad's – greeted him when he opened the nearby door, followed by a noisy woman.

"W-Wait, you mean 'Ichigo Kurosaki'?! He's here?!" Now eager to see this person for herself, she went behind the bar rummaging around for a flashlight.

"Chad. Is this where you've been?" Ichigo asked. "And as for why I'm here… This guy invited me." Ichigo pointed at Ginjo with his thumb. "So, what were you saying about not being pleased with your powers?" He asked, returning to the previous subject.

It's apparent those here held Hollows in very low regard, though not quite as extreme as Uryū's apathy and hatred more than a year ago. Altria, as always, didn't seem to be too bothered – she's used to the gazes now – but Ichigo wouldn't let any slights towards one of the women he loved go.

"Yes! As I was saying..." Ginjo was surprised yet again Ichigo didn't make a fuss about seeing his friend in a place like this, continuing, "Our abilities stem from an event which occurred before we were born, when each of our mothers were attacked by a Hollow, leaving a bit of their powers behind, which carried over to us when we were born. This makes us basically humans with Hollow powers, I think you could understand how… _unpleasant_ that could be."

"Not really, I have a very beautiful relationship with her," Ichigo said, with Altria nodding along, smiling.

"Maybe _you_ are okay with that, but we want to cleanse this vile power from inside ourselves," Ginjo stated. "We've spent many years gradually gathering allies with the same kind of power. And we discovered a single truth: This power is the exact opposite of ourselves. In other words, if we found someone with the powers of both a Soul Reaper and a human, we could transfer our power to them."

"Do you mean that..." Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"There was once another like you… One born to a Shinigami and a human," Ginjo told. "Some of my friends managed to become human again by transferring their powers to them. Do you see? This is where you come in, we would make you more powerful, so you could help _us_ in return."

Ichigo raised his hand with a serious frown on his face. "I am going to have to stop you right there." Ginjo gave him a questioning look. "I could respect the noble quest of wanting to become a normal human… if it was the truth, but we are pretty sure it's not." Ichigo accused.

"How on earth have you mastered your powers to this level if you don't like them in the first place? No, from what I heard… you _hated_ them, no?" Altria pointed out.

Artoria continued, having been silent all this time. "You know Urahara, thus we'll assume you know of his true nature. Yet, you deliberately avoided him and tried to set him up when we first met." Narrowing her eyes, she let her killing intent leak out. "You are simply in bottlenecks, trying to bring us and Chad to your fold to reach a new level."

Ichigo shrugged. "The usual power-hungry maniacs. Nothing we've never seen before."

"That's your theory then?" Ginjo gave him a dark stare.

"None of us believe about you wanting to be normal humans. Not a single person we've met would ever give up any bit of power they have for anything, even to just fit in with society," Ichigo said.

"Alright, you three got us," Ginjo confessed. "I'll tell you the truth, though it's not what you think. We're… stuck, yes, but there's another level of Fullbring which could be achieved."

"Then why do you need me when I'm not a Fullbringer?" Ichigo asked.

"We discovered we could share a bit of our powers with each other to make ourselves stronger," Ginjo explained.

"Let me guess… you've run out of Fullbringers to do this with?" Altria asked.

"Bingo. Ichigo is a Shinigami, while we are just humans, if he achieved a Fullbring and shared part of it with us, we could achieve a new level of power," The man said, while he was handed another drink from the man with an eye patch.

"And what would you do with that power?" Artoria asked.

"I won't lie to you and say the prospect of getting stronger isn't appealing, because it is. The main thing is power makes us a magnet for trouble, not just from Hollows, but there are other Fullbringers out there – rogue ones – who delight in causing problems for their own brethren." Ginjo looked at him seriously.

"Is that who that book lover stalker is? A rogue Fullbringer?" Altria asked, as he and the girls watched all their eyes widened and glanced at each other with concern.

"We need time to think about this," Ichigo said.

"I'd like to get your answer sometime in the next two days," Ginjo said.

"Very well," Ichigo said, as he and the girls left the room. On the way, he grabbed Chad's arm, dragging him along. "Chad… before you say anything, we understand you found people with abilities like yours, and wanted to know more".

"Really?" Chad was once again left speechless at how understanding Ichigo could be towards others.

"Yes, don't worry about it ." Ichigo patted him on the shoulder before he and the girls headed to their home.

"So, what are we going to do Ichigo?" Altria asked.

"I'm not sure. On one hand, they have they tried to deceive us." Ichigo said, full of anger and disappointment. "On the other hand, they're asking for my help… and if the reason is true, then we can prevent another victim like Uryū."

"I believe this time you should be the one to make the choice. And whatever you choose, we would be there with you," Artoria said.

Ichigo smiled warmly. "Thank you, the both of you."

* * *

 **The Next Day…**

After leaving school, Ichigo and the girls were with Yuzu, planning to go shopping and spending time together. Currently, they were waiting for Karin, when Tatsuki came to them. "Tatsuki!" Ichigo called.

"You guys are not with Keigo and Mizuiro?" Tatsuki asked, rushing over.

"No, we are waiting for Karin then go to the mall. Why?" Ichigo asked.

"They told me to join up with them later, but now I couldn't get through to them..." Tatsuki said, as Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria became suspicious.

"Maybe you didn't have any signal?" Ichigo said.

"That would be fine. But here's the thing from yesterday as well…" Tatsuki utteresd.

"The thing from yesterday? What are you talking about?" Altria asked.

"Didn't they tell you guys?" Tatsuki asked. "Someone's after them for some reason."

"What?! Someone's after them?!" Ichigo yelled, widening his eyes.

"We don't know for sure, though..." Tatsuki said.

Ichigo and the girls began to think who could be after them.

"The three of you should go and make sure they are okay." Yuzu said, after popping up behind them. "They are your friends right?"

"Y-Yuzu…"

After some thoughts, they'd decided. "Please take care of our bags!" Artoria said, as they rushed off with Tatsuki.

"Let's split up. Artoria, Tatsuki, look around the area near bowling ball alley. Altria and I would look at the place they were attacked yesterday."

"It's the construction site in the third district!" Tatsuki said.

"Got it!"

* * *

 **Construction Site**

"Keigo, Mizuiro!" Ichigo yelled, running towards them, but heard something falling, seeing several iron pipes falling towards them. He sped up and got in front of the pipes, catching and supporting them expertly. Ichigo and Altria heard footsteps and looked to see that guy who stole Ginjo's bag was there.

"You! Why are you after them?!" Altria yelled.

"Are you that desperate for revenge?!" Ichigo asked angrily.

"Revenge? That ain't it... I'm just carrying out a request!" The man began to walk towards them. "You couldn't do a thing, could you? If you move, then your friends would be injured… and that girl couldn't do anything against me!"

He tried to take out a knife, but Altria's fist had already arrived at his face first, slamming his head onto the ground. Ichigo had already secured Keigo and Mizuiro away, allowing him to release the pipes and knelt where the man's held to the ground by the throat, as Altria's knee held it in place.

However, before he could ask anything, the sound of a thin book snapping shut caught their attention. A thin shadow was walking away from behind another support beam, whom they recognized as their stalker and likely Uryū's attacker.

With a green light, the young man disappeared in a flash of green light.

The duo simply gritted their teeth and called Tatsuki and Artoria back, before going home to think. In their room, Ichigo could only muster a single thought.

"Xcution's hiding something."

* * *

 **Xcution Base**

"I knew you would return!" Ginjo exclaimed.

Altria raised an eyebrow. "Hey, _you_ came to him asking for help, so, don't act all condescending like you're the one doing him the favour here."

"Anything else?" Ginjo asked.

"Yes, contrary to what she just said, you would be helping him in a way, because it does not hurt to gain more power. And, if you could use it without even leaving your body like a Shinigami, then it is even better." Artoria said.

"I see… so unlocking his Fullbring would be beneficial for both of us." Ginjo actually smiled at that, as it looked like they could indeed help each other out.

"It is as she said. You would help me get my Fullbring, and when I do. I would share some of its power with you all."

"Great! Then we might as well get started!" Ginjo said.

The now-affectionate red-haired Riruka sweetly placed a large doll house on the table. "You'll use this…" she shyly suggested, giving several love-struck gazes towards the handsome boy, before was immediately swamped by the twin girls by her side who dragged her away.

"This is Riruka's ability, [Dollhouse]. Inside, you won't be able to use any of your other powers other than a Fullbring," Ginjo explained. "Basically, we'll draw your power out via combat by starting from square one: a human."

"Very interesting…" Artoria said.

After receiving a heart-shaped emblem on his chest to allow passage, he shrunk into the doll house, greeted by a gigantic plushie – which was probably of normal size when viewed from the outside – and the blushing Riruka.

 _'H-Here… those two pesky girls won't be able to stand between me and I-Ichigo-kun…!'_ She thought ecstatically, though she tried her best to be professional. "Say hello to Mr. Pork!" Riruka chuckled, ordering her beloved pig doll to chase after the now-panicking Ichigo. "Good luck fighting him!"

"Wait! h- how am I supposed to fight this thing like this!?" Ichigo said, ducking out of the way from one strike after another.

"You just have to figure out your Fullbring!" She encouraged him like it was the easiest thing ever.

"How about you give him a damn hint?!" Altria yelled.

"Fine… Ichigo, you just have to find an object you love, like how I love many things which I then put in this dollhouse! Ginjo loves his necklace, that's how he uses his Cross of Scaffold," Riruka explained, hoping Ichigo would get it.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not exactly a materialistic person," Ichigo said, making her sigh in disappointment.

"Well, find something you're attached to!" Riruka yelled, exiting the dollhouse and returning to her original size, before closing the roof, leaving him inside.

Ichigo ran and sidestepped the large pig doll trying his best to figure this out. "Alright, something I am attached to…" He muttered to himself.

"Ichigo! Use your pride!" Chad shouted.

"My pride?" Looking up, he wondered what that would accomplish.

"You're always sure of everything you do, you never hesitate or second guess yourself! You have a lot of pride for what you do and who you are Ichigo; use that!"

Ichigo began to think about all that he had accomplished, what he had done for others. But most importantly, he took pride in his precious Zanpakutōs, both his partners and lovers. As he was thinking of them, a black light with golden outline lit under his shirt.

"Of course, what else would it be…?" Ichigo said, mentally smacking himself for the obvious answer, as he put his hand inside his shirt and pulled out a necklace. It was part of a three-way romantic couple necklace, the other parts secure with Artoria and Altria. When combined, it would create a heart shape.

"That necklace…" Artoria whispered, placing her hand on her chest.

"It is the present Ichigo's father gave us to commemorate our relationship." Altria finished.

In his hand, his piece of necklace changed and elongated, transforming into a palm-wide short sword. It had a black guard like Morgan and blue handle like Excalibur, with black Reiatsu outlined in gold acting as the blade. **(1)**

With a thought, it hummed dangerously, sending an energy beam strong enough to cause an explosion when it hit the pig.

"What was that!?" Riruka asked.

"Well, it sounds like he did it," Yukio commented, still playing with his video game.

"Sure does. Riruka, let him out," Ginjo ordered.

Much to Ichigo's confusion – and soon, horror – Riruka carefully lined up her mouth and nose at him… and sneezed. At the very least, her sneezing face and sound was cute, just like a little puppy who's trying to be tough, but it's just as gross as anyone's.

"Ew! G-Gross!" Ichigo said, wiping his jacket clean.

Riruka flushed in embarrassment. "I-I have to do that to get you out, it's the only way."

"Are you okay, Ichigo?" Artoria asked in concern.

"Yeah, I am fine," Ichigo replied. "Though maybe don't kiss me anytime soon…"

His last comment made Riruka want to commit suicide right away. Here she was, standing in front of her first crush – albeit one who's already taken – and the _first_ thing she did was cover him in her own mucus?! H-He must've hated her by now…!

No one really paid attention to what's going on in her mind, though, as Altria immediately asked, "So… how does this work? Would he just break off some pieces and give it you guys?"

"I wish it were that simple." Ginjo chuckled. "But unfortunately, his Fullbring is far from complete."

"Looks fine to me." Ichigo scaled the power back until his necklace turned back into a light sword.

"Compared to what we've achieved with our Fullbrings, yours is still in its infancy, and not ready to share with the rest of us," Ginjo explained.

"Okay." Ichigo shrugged, but suddenly his eyes widened as he seemed to stare off in a random direction. "Orihime's in trouble!"

Ichigo and the girls started to run to the door.

"Who the hell is 'Orihime'?" Riruka asked.

"She is our friend," Chad said, following Ichigo and the girls.

When they reached her apartment, they saw her sitting on the floor. Artoria went to her. "Are you alright?"

"I-I, I'm fine…!" Orihime was surprised to see no blood or wound on her body when she was sure she was cut a few minutes ago; thus, her expression was both one of fright and confusion.

"What happened?" Altria asked.

"I-I don't know…! One minute, I was with a friend, and the next minute, I was sitting here on the floor..." However, try as she might, her mind simply couldn't rationalize what had happened… before the thought simply and unnaturally vanished from her mind.

"A friend? Who?" Ichigo asked sensing something wasn't quite right here.

"I couldn't remember…" Orihime held her head trying to think, but all she could see was _that man's_ face.

"Are you sure you're not hurt, Orihime?" Ichigo asked, now seriously concerned.

"I'm fine, Ichigo… I don't know why my Reiatsu suddenly spike like that," She answered, seeing the same face in her mind again. She wanted to tell Ichigo about it, but something in her was keeping her from voicing it.

"Well, you should get some rest now," Artoria said.

"Hmm…" She nodded.

* * *

 **The Next Day…**

Ichigo sat in the Xcution base alone, because he had asked Artoria and Altria to stay at home to keep an eye on Yuzu and Karin, as Isshin wasn't home. After what happened with Uryū, and then Orihime, he just didn't want to take any chances. Of course, they said one of them should come with him, but he said they both should stay at home, because they didn't know anything about _that man_ , and it might take both of them to defeat him if he attacked.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, we're going to work on completing your Fullbring," Ginjo said.

"But first, tell me about that book stalker," Ichigo ordered.

Ginjo looked hesitant for a second, but soon answered him. "Since he seems to be after you, Ichigo, it wouldn't hurt to tell you about him. His name is Tsukishima Shukuro and he was the one who originally created Xcution," he admitted, surprising Ichigo.

"I was certain it was you," Ichigo said.

"Heh, I wish! Tsukishima was our original leader; he was the one who figured out how to increase our powers by sharing a bit of them with each other. When Xcution first formed, we had more members than this." Ginjo told him, looking sad.

"What happened to them?" Ichigo asked.

"Tsukishima went berserk and killed them all. Strangely, though… he did it before they shared their power with him, which didn't make sense even now." Ginjo looked angry and betrayed while he thought about the man. "Now that is out of the way… Go into the dollhouse. Your new trainer is waiting." Ginjo said.

Suddenly, Riruka brings a fish tank in the room, drawing their attention.

"All right! You'll be entering this fish tank!" Riruka says to Ichigo.

"Okay..." He replied, unconvinced

"I permit you!" Riruka said, as he was sucked in.

What followed was a general hand-to-hand combat spar with the dark-skinned woman called Jackie Tristan. Obviously a foreigner, she was muscular and tall enough to contend with Ichigo's own above-average height, though her body's still obviously very slim and fit. He did make some progress with his Fullbring, though, as this session prioritized a balanced spread of Reiatsu across his body, instead of just focusing them on one weapon, increasing both his control and comfort.

Now, he had a blue gauntlet with black lines. He also had the same designed arm bracer on his left arm and a long black glove on his right hand. **(2)**

Pouring more Reiatsu at the end of the session, he sent Jackie away with an inescapable tidal wave of power. A moment later, they were ejected out of the fish tank, and were back into the lounge.

Noticing another person there – and his face – ichigo immediately assumed a combat stance.

"So, that's your Fullbring, Ichigo Kurosaki..." Tsukishima muttered, standing there in the Xcution hideout like he owned the place.

"I have to pay you back for a lot!" Ichigo said coldly, immediately attacking, blasting them both through the wall.

Jackie just stood there, confused by the speed things had developed, before Ginjo, Chad, and Yukio rushed into the room and saw the carnage.

With one look at the wall, Chad instantly rushed into the newly-made hole under Ginjo's shout. "Chad! What are you doing?!"

"Sorry, but I couldn't let Ichigo fight him; not yet!" Chad said, concerned.

"Wait, where _is_ Ichigo?" Ginjo asked looking around.

"He went after Tsukishima while you two were talking," Yukio said, staring at the giant hole in the wall.

"Dammit!"

On the rooftop of a nearby building, Ichigo was fighting against Tsukishima. The former was surprised at the latter's skill, as his blade hadn't even touched the lanky man yet, constantly using Bringer Light to smoothly avoid strike after strike, each one strong enough to outright kill him.

Under this constant pressure, his face remained calm, which alarmed Ichigo plentily.

However, that expression changed when suddenly Artoria and Altria appeared behind him, slashing at the man's exposed back.

"Artoria! Altria!"

 **"We sensed him, so we came to help you,"** Altria said.

 **"What is it that you want?!"** Artoria asked.

"I don't want anything…" Tsukishima answered.

"You are going to tell us, one way or another!" Ichigo and the girls charged forward, but were stopped when a box enclosed around them, locking themselves in a vast empty space.

 **"Where the hell are we?"** Altria asked.

" **Don't know, but it feels like Yukio's Reiatsu,"** Artoria said.

"Are you three alright in there?" Yukio asked.

 **"Oh, yeah, I just love having a fight interrupted, especially when I was in the perfect opportunity to put that bastard in his place!"** Altria shouted back with extreme sarcasm and anger.

"Your fight with Tsukishima would have attracted civilian attention, I think you could understand how problematic that would be for all parties," Yukio said.

"Plus, I don't want Tsukishima killing you before you could share your Fullbring with the rest of us," Ginjo spoke up, appearing in the digital dimension across from Ichigo.

"Oh, please, we had it under control," Ichigo said.

"Tsukishima is not an opponent you want to take lightly," Ginjo said.

"Where are we, anyway?" Ichigo asked, ignoring the other party's concerns.

"We're in Yukio's Fullbring, [Invaders must Die]," Ginjo explained. "Think of it as a video game world he could manipulate."

 **"I assume this is where you would complete his Fullbring,"** Artoria said.

"Right, we're going to complete his Fullbring _here._ " Ginjo told Yukio to give them each a six-point life counter which appeared in the sky for both of them. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you what happens when one of us gets a 'game over'."

Wordlessly, Ichigo was already halfway into his swing into Ginjo's neck, who panicked and backed off immediately. Before he could complain, two legs – one each from Artoria and Altria – attempted to scissor him and snap his body in three parts.

The experienced man was overwhelmed, and a little bit pissed when he sensed his three opponents weren't even going full-steam, instead using this session to experiment with Ichigo's Fullbring… until it changed again, adding four pairs of feathery black wings with golden ends on his back. **(3)**

"Oh, come on! That's not fair!" Ginjo yelled, waving his giant claymore at him.

"How is that not fair? You could walk in the air right?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh! I forgot I could do that." Ginjo smirked, and jumped into the air after Ichigo. The orange haired eighteen young adult opened his wings and held his weapon at the ready as his opponent came charging in.

* * *

 **4 Hours Later…**

Ichigo was currently doing his push-ups, aiming to improve his body to allow him to handle his Fullbring. It seemed the other Xcution members had drove Tsukishima off on the outside world, leaving him and his girls in relative peace when they exited. With his transformed Fullbring, he did manage to fight Ginjo into a draw even without the twins' help – which only showed how much the older man was holding back earlier.

Now, in their final session inside Yukio's Fullbring, Orihime was also present to deal with any unforeseen injuries, as Ginjo wanted them to fight with all their might. It did get ugly, but Ichigo calmly pushed his opponent to the brink, before the latter ended the session. Both of them had quite large injuries, which Orihime rushed to heal.

"I think now your training is complete," Ginjo said weakly, as Ichigo dropped onto the ground. "Yukio, get us out of here!"

It was sunset when they got out, and Ginjo bade his farewells. "Alright, I'll go gather our Xcution members and we'll meet back up here later, so you could share a bit of your Fullbring with us, Ichigo."

However, trouble awaited them back home, as Ichigo froze on the doorway.

Tsukishima was there, with Yuzu and Karin calling him their _cousins_.

"Surprise, Ichigo," Tsukishima said calmly, sitting on the couch.

 _'That bastard!'_ Altria roared in her mind, as she was ready to rip him apart.

 _'What is he doing here?'_ Altria wondered, ready to attack.

 _"Follow my lead,"_ Ichigo urgently said to them through their mental connection.

 _"What do you mean?"_ Altria asked.

 _"No time for explanation; just do it!"_ Ichigo repeated.

 _"Okay."  
"Very well."_

"Tsukishima! It is nice to see you." Ichigo said happily, walking up to him carefreely. This action shocked Artoria and Altria, but they soon recovered and followed his lead.

It did work, as the dark-haired man stood facing him with a hint of confusion in his eyes, which morphed into surprise when Ichigo put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It's good to see you again," Artoria said with a fake smile.

"You should stop by more!" Altria said.

"I see all of you are quite happy to see each other again," Karin said with a smirk as she walked into the room, followed by Yuzu.

"Of course! Why wouldn't we be happy to see our friend?" Ichigo laughed, wrapping his arm around Tsukishima's shoulder like he was his best friend.

 _'What is happening here? Have they gone crazy?'_ Tsukishima thought, a bit scared by the unexpected behaviour.

Yuzu giggled at the display of friendship. There was a knock at the door and Karin went to open it, letting Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro came in. They, too, exhibited the same strangeness as Ichigo's sisters, recognizing Tsukishima as if he's a long-lost friend.

Like before, Ichigo played along, to the point Tsukishima was scared for the first hour, wondering if Ichigo and his girlfriends had truly gone mad, or perhaps he might have accidentally cut him with his [Book of the End]. Eventually, he actually let his guard down, and decided to enjoy the time with the people whose past he inserted himself into. After dinner and desert, Tatsuki, Mizuiro and Keigo left. Ichigo plopped down on the couch right next Tsukishima, placing his arm around the man's shoulders.

"I must say we're really glad you stopped by." Ichigo smiled pleasantly. _"Now."_

 _"I have been waiting for this moment!"_ Artoria said.

 _"About time! I was dying from keeping this fake smile on!"_ Altria said.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Tsukishima, what happened to your face?" He asked, concerned.

"My face?" The Fullbringer raised an eyebrow wondering what he was talking about.

"It's all _broken_."

In the span of one second, Ichigo had gripped the back of his neck and repeatedly slammed the man's face into the coffee table – once, twice and a third time, breaking the table completely.

"Ichi-nii, what the hell are yo-"

Karin didn't get to finish as Artoria placed a hand on her head, putting her unconscious with a simple Kidō, Altria also quickly did the same to Yuzu as they gently laid their bodies on the floor. "Now, they are safe." Ichigo's face went from happy to angry and serious in an instant, as he turned to face Tsukishima. "You tried to use people I care about as a shield; how did _you_ think this was going to go down?" Ichigo asked darkly, smirking.

"You…" Tsukishima didn't know what to say. This had not gone at all how he planned. He even made the huge mistake of letting his guard down, despite knowing something was clearly wrong.

"Here's what's going to happen next: We would put Yuzu and Karin to bed, clean the table, which by that time it would give you ten minutes to run. Then, we are going to hunt you down like an animal you are, hurt you more for what you did, and then I'm going to kill you. After that, I would destroy your soul so you won't even have the chance to go to hell!"

Ichigo turned around to pick his sisters up, but turned back when he noticed the man was still standing there in shock. "Are you still here? I thought I was clear. Run." He glared darkly at him. **_"RUUUN!"_**

Tsukishima couldn't get out the door any faster; once outside, he vanished with his Bringer Light. Once they put the two girls in their beds and threw the broken table into the trash, exactly ten minutes had passed.

"Ten minutes are over," Ichigo said, slipping on his dark brown jacket, while Artoria wore her white coat and Altria wore her black jacket, leaving the house and locking the door behind him. "Run, little cockroach… _run._ "

"But even if he runs away, there is no place in any world he could hide from us," Altria said, smirking sadistically.

"It is time for him to pay for his deeds," Artoria said.

Soon, though, Ginjo came to them from behind them. "Wait, you three!"

"We are hunting a cockroach. Do you want to join us?" Altria invited.

"You mean Tsukishima? He was _here_?!" Ginjo asked frantically. Ichigo and the girls told him what happened, how his friend and family thought he was a cousin of his like they knew him their whole lives.

"We toyed with his head for a bit, played along with his plan, and then when he let his guard down, I broke his nose, even knocked out some teeth." Ichigo smiled remembering how it felt so good to beat him.

"Really? Hah! Serves him right!" Ginjo actually laughed at that.

"Gave him a ten-minute head start, now we are going to hunt him down!" Altria said.

Ginjo told them _his_ experience, which was mostly the same, as the other members of Xcution attacked him. He revealed what little he knew of Tsukishima's [Book of the End], and the group came to the conclusion it altered people's memories to the point they thought he was a friend or an ally.

"The easiest way is if we just kill him," Altria suggested.

"Could we really do that when there's no guarantee everyone would go back to normal if he dies?" Artoria said.

"Yeah, your friends and family might hate you for killing him," Ginjo said seriously.

"I'd rather they all hate me forever, than let that bastard be a part of their lives in any form," Ichigo said hatefully. Following a trail of Reiatsu, they headed into a wooded area.

"So, how should we get inside?" Ginjo asked aloud, looking over at Ichigo, only to see he and the girls were already at the front door, as Ichigo kicked it down. Behind it, a delinquent looking boy was there.

"I know who you are, and I'm not letting you in!" Shishigawara yelled.

"Like you could really stop us." Ichigo focused his Reiatsu on him and slammed it down like a ton of bricks, making the boy collapsed on the floor, keeping up the pressure until Shishigawara passed out. "Ginjo, look for someone maybe hiding around while we hunt that rat. If you don't find anyone, then came to us."

"Okay, I'll start downstairs," Ginjo said, picking a hallway and heading down it. Ichigo and the girls skipped up the steps to the second floor and began checking rooms and kicking down doors, before finally arriving in a large open sitting room where they found their target.

"There you are… _cousin_ ," Ichigo smirked, closing and locking the door behind him.

Tsukishima stood up with a smile of his own, having regained his usual composure, his face having healed fine. That worried Ichigo a bit, knowing there's only one person who could heal something that fast. "So, you've finally arrived, Ichigo."

"You sure are acting tough. What happened fifteen minutes ago when you ran with your tail between your legs?" Altria mocked.

"Is that how you see it?" The Fullbringer asked.

"It is how it is," Artoria said.

"Then activate your Fullbring and come at with everything you have. Could you really beat me without using your Shinigami powers or without their help?" Tsukishima taunted, holding his hands out, waiting for the other to make a move.

"If that is your wish then you would get just that. Stay back Artoria, Altria." Ichigo ordered.

"Okay." Artoria obliged.

"Fine, but don't kill him before I could have a go at him," Altria said.

"Of course," Ichigo said, and activated his complete Fullbring.

It had evolved further, with the erratic black-gold aura covering his body had solidified into a complete black suit and pants, marred with red lines, and covered with a blue coat with golden lines.

"You should dodge."

Tsukishima's surprised expression at the complex Fullbring morphed into panic, as a Reiatsu beam from Ichigo's light sword rushed straight into his body. He tried to dodge the attack by jumping into the air, but it was a mistake, as a follow-up attack grazed his left side, almost slicing his arm off.

"Huh, I guess I do need to work on my aim." Ichigo sighed.

Altria chuckled. "It is obvious you missed on purpose."

Soon the door was open with a bang and Chad appeared followed by Orihime.

"Ichigo!" Orihime shouted sternly running over to Tsukishima. She quickly used her powers and started to restore his mangled left arm back to normal. "Why are you all attacking him?!"

"Because we hate him." Altria bluntly answered the long-haired girl.

"He got them under his illusion too…?" Artoria said.

"B-But… d-don't you remember everything he did for us?!" She pleaded.

"Oh, please enlighten us about his generous help," Altria's words were dripping with sarcasm.

"Didn't you guys manage to defeat Aizen... only thanks to Tsukishima was with you! It was because of him we were able to save Rukia and rescue Orihime. Back when our powers awakened, and back when she went to Hueco Mundo on her own... he was always there to advise us. We've made it this far because Tsukishima was with us- ARGH?!" Chad was cut off by Ichigo appearing in front of him, punching him in the gut, knocking him out. Artoria also did the same with Orihime, though she chose to strike at the back of the neck.

Ichigo looked darkly at Tsukishima. "[Book of the End]… an ability to turn friends into foes and vice versa. I would make sure to write _your_ end on that book!"

Tsukishima silently glared at him.

Instead of continuing, he attacked with a large Reiatsu beam, to which Tsukishima escaped outside through one of the broken windows, receiving only a few minor burns. He looked back to see the wall of the room explode into rubble, revealing his trio of opponents.

"What is the matter? You couldn't even defeat him with only Fullbring; what would have you done if he was using his Shinigami powers?" Altria mocked.

"A coward who only knows how to play with other's feelings," Artoria said in disgust.

"Damn you all to hell!" Tsukishima cursed.

Another Reiatsu beam was slashed at him, which he dodged, but Ichigo had already appeared behind him and slashed quickly. Tsukishima tried to block it, but he was pushed… no, _launched_ backwards.

"Is that all you have? Couldn't you do anything other than manipulating people?" Ichigo mocked.

"I'll show you what I can do!" Tsukishima snarled and charged at Ichigo. He tried to cut him, but Ichigo sidestepped and kicked, sending him crashing into a tree.

"Ichigo!" Ginjo came from behind him. He heard the commotion upstairs, but unfortunately had to deal with a reawakened Shishigawara and his Fullbring, before heading outside to help.

"Ginjo, where have you been?!" Ichigo turned back to look at him. With his guard seemingly down, Tsukishima appeared behind him with his weapon raised.

"Look out!" Ginjo managed to get between them and took the hit which was meant for Ichigo, receiving a cut on his shoulder. Ichigo swung his sword with full power, separating the two and sending Tsukishima again into the trees.

"Are you alright?" Ichigo asked hesitantly.

"No… I'm fine. his Fullbring hasn't taken effect yet, I think," Ginjo said, standing back up.

"I think it is time I finish him for good," Ichigo said, walking towards where Tsukishima was sent.

"You are right about that." Altria agreed, walking alongside him with and Artoria.

Before they could continue walking they were stopped by Uryū who was in front of them. "Are you also, under his control Uryū?" Artoria asked, growling.

"No one has control over me; I came to help you all fight against the man who attacked me." He said, keeping his bow pointed at the other.

"Then shouldn't your aim at someone else?" Altria asked.

"The one who attacked me is standing right behind you all!" The Quincy shouted.

The three of them turned back in an instant, but Ichigo was already stabbed in the chest by Ginjo's sword

Ichigo grimaced in pain. A moment later, his Fullbring flowed into Ginjo's Cross of Scaffold, though before he could completely absorb it all, Artoria pulled Ichigo back away from the sword. Altria angrily attacked Ginjo by releasing some of Invisible Air, but he dodged and jumped away.

Now, Ichigo's Fullbring form had disappeared, but he still had his Reiatsu sword and wings, along with the gauntlet, arm pad and the long black glove.

"I bet you're wondering why, aren't you?" Ginjo asked.

"Not really, this is pretty clear." Ichigo was supported by Artoria. "I understand now, you never wanted just a piece of my Fullbring – you wanted to take it all."

"Remember when I told you about the first substitute Shinigami who came along?" Ginjo began with his own grin. "Well, that was _me._ " He showed Ichigo his own badge

"You two were together all this time, weren't you?" Artoria accused. "No… you're clearly cut by his sword then… So his ability can be cancelled with every second hit?"

"Exactly."

Altria frowned. "So… are all of your little club members were also in this?"

As rain fell stronger, Ginjo began to walk away, having gotten what he wanted – well, half of it, that was. Tukishima followed him.

"You really don't think I would let you get away with this, right?" Ichigo asked.

"What could you do without your power?" Ginjo asked.

"You have only taken a part of my Fullbring; and besides, I still have my Shinigami powers." _'Along with my Quincy and Hollow powers.'_ He thought.

"So what?" Ginjo stated like it didn't matter to him.

"You have to be careful, Ginjo. They aren't someone to be taken lightly." Tsukishima warned.

"Do you really think you could defeat me, now that I have most of your Fullbring. You won't stand a chance, even with your Quincy friend and your little girlfriends' help!" Ginjo mocked.

"I really do think he can beat you, yes."

A voice answered from behind Ichigo, but before they could even move or look, a glowing blue sword was stabbed through his back and out of his chest.

"Midget?" Ichigo asked.

"Strawberry." She replied. Rukia did change her appearance somewhat, outgrowing her childish traces into a more refined straight bob.

She was accompanied by Urahara and Isshin, who was clad in his traditional Shinigami uniform.

In front of Ginjo and Tsukishima's anguished expressions, Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria's body exploded in a burst of golden and black light, transforming into their soul form, which changed slightly due to the influence of Ichigo's Fullbring training.

Both twins were still wearing the same blue or black dress, but they're now covered with ornate, full-body armour, complete with coloured lines matching their personal colors – silver and blue for Artoria, red and black for Altria. **(4)**

Ichigo's Shinigami uniform, meanwhile, was supplemented by parts of his old Fullbring getup, most notably his left arm's gauntlet, pauldron and long black glove on his right hand along with the 4 pair of wings at his back.

 ** _"Ichigo, our powers have been boosted by 200%!"_** Artoria said to him through the mental connection.

 ** _"Not only that, but 2 more seals have been removed from the Excalibur and Morgan."_** Altria continued.

 _"R-Really?"_ Ichigo asked, shocked.

Ichigo looked at Rukia in surprise. "What did you stab me with?" He asked.

"Something I came up with, Ichigo," Urahara spoke up. "You see, I got a direct order from people above to make you strong quickly. So, I thought… why not give you more Reiatsu? The rest should take care of its own."

 _'Are they talking about Gotei 13, or the Soul King?'_ Ichigo thought.

"Where did you get this much Reiatsu?" Artoria asked.

"Look up," Rukia answered, pointing at the sky. They looked up to see a large Senkaimon opening high above him, revealing Byakuya, Toshiro, Kenpachi, Renji, and Ikkaku.

"Look at you all. You leave me alone for a year and a half with no visit or calls. Then you just come to help like nothing." Ichigo said, making everyone look at him in surprise.

"Ichigo, we are sorry that we-" Renji was cut off.

"It was a joke," Ichigo smirked. "Besides you might have your own reasons. Thank you all for giving me so much power."

"When Kisuke Urahara created that sword, everyone who supports you in Soul Society gave their Reiatsu in that sword," Byakuya explained.

"You have changed the Seireitei for better, Ichigo. Take that power with pride." Toshiro said, smiling.

"Of course I would use it from right now," Ichigo said, turning back to Ginjo and Tsukishima. "Artoria, Altria… leave this one to me."

 **"Fine."  
"Very well."**

"You really think you could defeat me?" Ginjo asked.

Before he could sense what's going on, a large amount of pressure appeared from behind him. Ginjo didn't dare waste any time to look, instinctively swinging his sword and throwing his entire body back – which was a good decision, judging by the large beam of light suddenly appearing where he was.

It blinded him slightly, causing him to wince, but a breathtakingly beautiful silver-blue sword had already made contact with his chest. It's fortunate the experienced Ginjo twisted his body beyond his limits the instant he felt the touch, but it's still enough to launch him far backwards, slamming into the ground.

"AARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Before he could finish screaming, a mixture of golden and black Reiatsu drilled into his prone form, crushing him with its might.

"Reiatsu Burst," Ichigo plainly stated, looking down on the broken man from above. "I missed; he's still breathing."

 **"I repeat: you missed on purpose,"** Altria commented, amused.

Their small talk was interrupted by a large pillar of glowing Reiatsu shooting out of the ground where Ginjo landed. The man himself appeared out of the energy, wearing skeletal armour – clearly his Bankai, or perhaps an advanced form of Fullbring.

"It would take more than that to kill me, Ichigo!" Ginjo shouted, having floated back level with him.

"It seems so," Ichigo said, looking like a man tired after trying to kill a cockroach multiple times… and failing. Naturally, his gaze caused the man's nerves to snap, but before he could wail at him, Yukio's voice interrupted them, along with the rest of the Xcution.

"Hey, Ginjo! What about what we were promised?"

"Oh, right!" Ginjo said, moving over to them and gave them a bit of his newly-acquired power.

The confident group faced off against Artoria, Altria, Uryū, and the group of Shinigamis.

"Well, then, let's take care of this and go home," Ichigo said.

"Yeah… it's already late and I am sleepy," Altria said.

"I think we're due for a change of scenery." Yukio, irritated by their words, pushed a few buttons on his new gauntlet as cubes began to form around everyone, separating them into different dimensions to fight one-on-one.

"You sure chose a nice place, didn't you?" Ichigo scoffed, looking at the cityscape below him he was facing Ginjo in. He noticed Ishida had followed him into the digital space as well.

"Look sharp, Ichigo, we'll need to work together to beat him," Uryū said, forming his bow.

"No need to worry, Uryū, we can beat him without any trouble. It would be like a walk in the park. In fact, just me alone will suffice, though I'm glad you're here," Ichigo said back.

"What does that mean?" The Quincy asked, intrigued.

"You'll see soon enough." Ichigo grinned.

"Are you two done talking?!" Ginjo yelled, swiping his Cross of Scaffold through the air, creating a powerful gust of wind to get their attention.

* * *

 **20 Minutes Later…**

With the twins' help, the Shinigami group had an easy time defeating the Xcution members. They were, after all, centuries old with the corresponding battle experience, smashing through the digital space upon each of their victory.

"Looks like we're all here," Renji commented, seeing his captain finally showed up, slightly worse for wear.

 **"Not quite,"** Artoria cut.

 **"Ichigo and Uryū are still fighting Ginjo,"** Artoria said, looking at the black cube Yukio made.

Toshiro glanced over at Yukio whom he had defeated and captured in his ice.

"Don't look at me, I couldn't disable that one; it's part of our deal with Ginjo," the gamer just shrugged.

"So, the only way out is for Ichigo to win? This shouldn't take long." Kenpachi grinned. Rukia looked up at the cube with a concerned look… not for Ichigo, though. She knew he would win, that was guaranteed; she was concerned over what he might find out while facing Ginjo.

* * *

 **Inside the cube**

"You… fuckin' _slave_!" Ginjo hollered.

He looked terrible; the presence of Uryū alone was troublesome enough, as his Quincy abilities directly clashed with his Hollow one, much less Ichigo, who was the direct source of Ginjo's current weak Shinigami powers. Additionally, the orange-haired boy's Fullbring had large traces of his girlfriends' Reiatsu in them, rendering most of the energy Ginjo absorbed to be equivalent to poison, unable to be controlled.

A simple Shikai release from Ichigo was enough for the pair to dominate Ginjo.

"I fight for my people! We, Xcution! Tsukishima's about to die! What about you, huh?! Not even caring you're being monitored, watched, like some kind of _animal!_ "

Ichigo held his hand to one side, holding the irate Uryū back.

In their battle, Ginjo was trying to convince Ichigo the Shinigamis he's fighting alongside with were all evil, proven by their status as Substitute Shinigami. He reasoned they'd never wanted to give a human that much power, and their badges weren't just GPS locators – they're _slave collars_ , created to monitor _everything_ a Substitute Shinigami did.

Uryū was more concerned about Ichigo's mental well-being rather than the fight, which was why he's eager to jump in there and shut Ginjo's mouth up.

However, Ichigo had a calm smile on his face.

"Slave…? I understand where you're coming from."

"Then you-"

"From a person who had no one to trust, no one to love, not even his own _family_ ," Ichigo continued, ignoring Ginjo's shout. "Your group, Xcution, isn't even a gang, Ginjo. They're just individuals who had interests of their own, held together because you dangled a carrot in front of their eyes." With a twinkle in his eyes, he added, "Or, in my case, a strawberry."

Uryū wanted to smack him for the joke, but Ginjo didn't care.

"It always comes down to choice. _I_ made the choice to work with the Gotei Thirteen despite not having the best opinion on them. _I_ made the choice to fight Aizen with everything I had, despite it not being my problem, _I_ chose to fight the Hollows in Karakura, even though it wasn't my duty, and _I'm_ making the choice right now to fight you, even though I could just leave you to face the might of the Gotei 13 right now," Ichigo finished, pointing the released Excalibur at Ginjo. "Now, come at me with everything you have."

Tired, injured, and desperate, Ginjo didn't really have any other option but to retaliate. His Bankai had already been damaged, though not as badly as his internal injuries – a combination of Ichigo's own peculiar techniques and Uryū 'poisonous' Quincy Reiatsu.

Even his trump car, a powerful, red, Cero-like energy beam, was cut apart like paper by Ichigo's combined Excalibur and Morgan slash, which also was the last exchange of the battle, as the orange-haired boy's counter slammed unabated straight into Ginjo's body.

"You don't have to do this… You could still walk away," Ichigo warned, as his opponent's body fell powerlessly onto the ground.

"I'll never stop!" Ginjo gasped out, preparing to fly up again and keep fighting.

"I wouldn't do this if there was any other way to end this without killing you… However, you've forced my hand." Ichigo looked at him with sad eyes.

"ICHIGO…!"

Ginjo stood up and ran at him. Ichigo easily blocked the strike with little-to-no effort, and stabbed Ginjo through the heart. As Ichigo won the cuibe broke and Ginjo let out a cry of agony, before collapsing face-first on the ground.

"I never wanted to kill him," Ichigo said regretfully, looking down.

Ichigo kneeled down to check Ginjo's pulse, and found it was fading fast. The man's head was turned to stare at him, before he closed his eyes, released his last breath and finally die. There was a silent pause, as a single gust of wind passed through the area while Ichigo looked at his enemy sadly.

Then, suddenly, Ichigo felt a presence from behind him. He turned just in time to see Tsukishima running up to him, sword raised in fury. Rukia – _'Where did she come from?_ ' – jumped in-between them, while Riruka popped out of a little door out of nowhere. Ichigo Shunpō'ed to get in front of Riruka before she was cut down, and stopped Tsukishima's sword with Morgan.

"You might have been an annoyance to me when I was fighting with only with Fullbring…" Ichigo stared directly into the man's terrified eyes while tightening his grip on the blade. "But now that I'm using my Shinigami powers, you are _nothing_." With that, he pushed Morgan and cut his sword in two. "Invisible Air!" He fired a small compressed air at Tsukishima, which sent him flying.

Ichigo sighed and looked back, only to find Riruka had fled away and Orihime was healing Rukia's injuries.

Artoria and Altria came to him. **"Are you okay, Ichigo?"** The former asked.

"Yeah, I am fine… just a bit tired," Ichigo answered, looking at the sky.

* * *

 **The Next Day in Seireitei**

It was a regular morning in Soul Society, when everyone was going about their day, minding their own business. Everything was normal, except for Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria walking in there, with Rukia following behind them.

Renji appeared in front of them. "Ichigo!"

They didn't stop and kept walking. "Renji," Ichigo said.

 **"Hey, pineapple,"** Altria said.

 **"I hope you are doing well after yesterday night,"** Artoria said.

They kept walking, until Renji turned back and grabbed Ichigo by the shoulder. "Hold on, damn it! You guys couldn't just come here without making an appointment!"

"We are here to speak with Genryūsai," Ichigo said, as they started walking again, while Renji's eyes widened in shock.

"They got permission," Rukia said to him.

Her words turned out to be true, as a few minutes later, the trio of travellers stood among the captains and lieutenants inside the Captains' Meeting Hall. Furthermore, Yamamoto actually allowed Ichigo's rather crass manners – however, given the new armada of captains who arrived to replace Aizen's cohorts, mostly taken from the Vizards, were all favourable towards the boy, one could understand this easily.

"I am here to get some things clarified, before I make a decision on whether or not I still want to be a part of this organization," He answered, discussing about the things he heard from Ginjo, as well as the unsavoury things Gotei 13 had done for their so-called 'peace'.

"What have you done with the body of Ginjo Kugo?" Mayuri asked, not really going along with the main topic, as he's rather annoyed the group who was sent to the world of the living didn't come back with the man's body, so he could study it.

"I buried him." Most of them gasped in shock, and even the Head Captain opened his eyes. They were all quite surprised Ichigo did that after what Ginjo did. "Is it so hard to believe I felt remorse and guilt for killing him?"

"That man stole the powers of countless Shinigami, before murdering them… and he tried to manipulate your allies!" Soi Fon argued with a glare directed at Ichigo.

"Yes, but in spite of all that, I still feel bad. I had to kill him, something I never wanted to do." Ichigo explained, being ashamed. "He's not Aizen, or Hollows. He's… _human_ , like me."

"You did what you had to, Ichigo," Toshiro spoke up, showing his supportive stance.

 **"So, why did you not sent others to help us before?"** Altria asked Yamamoto as she let her Reiatsu loose. However, compared to the density of the old man's normal aura, it didn't really affect the room – more of a show of force.

"We knew Ginjo would approach him during this time, and couldn't pass up on this opportunity," Kyoraku said, tipping his hat down, not even sweating from the Zanpakutō's power. "He is, after all, a long-wanted fugitive."

 **"You used him as bait. Is that supposed to justify your actions?"** Artoria asked with her eyes narrowed. She, too, let loose her Reiatsu throughout the room. Some of the captains tried their best to look unaffected, particularly those with weaker raw power, like Mayuri and Ukitake.

"We knew he could deal with him." Ukitake said, trying to alleviate the growing tension. "Some of us _who're not here_ opposed the move, but we pushed it through… though as a result, we couldn't give him the proper reinforcement in time."

The unspoken jab at the Central 46 members didn't go unnoticed, though Ichigo still wasn't satisfied with the excuse.

"You still could have told us ahead of time; it would have allowed us to stop him before our friends got dragged into it," Ichigo said.

"We're sorry, but contacting you would have been too suspicious." Ukitake smiled apologetically.

 _'I would still give you some punishment.'_ Ichigo thought. "I have one more question," He said, pulling out the combat pass. "I heard it records every conversation around it, is that true?"

"Yes, of course, but my division only records and stores those conversations. It is the duty and responsibility of the man in charge of the 'Combat Pass Project' to listen to everything recorded," Mayuri answered.

Everyone turned to look at Ukitake as he was the man they were talking about.

"I would tell you this right now… that for some reason, I couldn't use the recorder. Perhaps because the recorder was broken." Ukitake outright lied. _'Not to mention that the new badge didn't have anything in it.'_

Not that the other captains believe his words in an instant. Whether they liked it or not, Ichigo deserved his… say, 'privileges' after all he'd done.

"If the recorder was fine, were you planning using it at any specific time? Like… when I and the girls spend some time alone…"

The white-haired captain blushed embarrassed, understanding perfectly well what the young man was getting at.

"N-No…!" He said, looking away.

"Were you planning on using it at that time when we go on a date…?"

"No, I would ne-"

He was cut off again. "Or perhaps you were waiting for the moment when we did that."

"LISTEN TO WHAT I AM SAYING!" Ukitake yelled, blushing, much to the other captains' amusement – yes, even Byakuya was sporting a small smirk.

"You are nothing but a perverted old man who just wants to hear other's private conversations," Ichigo said coldly.

 **"Perhaps he did it because he doesn't have any wife or lover?"** Altria said.

 **"Or maybe because he is into this sort of filthy perverted fetish?"** Artoria added.

 _'Dying would be far better than this...!'_ Ukitake wanted to kill himself to end this embarrassment.

Kyoraku, Shinji, and Kenpachi were laughing openly, while Love, Kensei, Toshiro, and Unohana were snickering. Even Byakuya, Komamura, and Yamamoto were smirking at Ukitake. Meanwhile, the inexperienced Soi-Fon was blushing.

"I believe this is enough punishment, Ichigo," Artoria said, smiling.

"Hmm… I don't really think so, but if you insist…" The boy sneered at the sweating Ukitake, before shrugging. "I'll keep this, if you're asking." He pocketed the badge, much to the surprise of everyone.

* * *

 **Senkaimon**

Ichigo was standing with Artoria and Altria in front of the Senkaimon leading back home, with Rukia and Renji hanging around.

Ichigo looked at Rukia. "Well, we would see you later, Rukia," He said, deciding against using her derogatory nickname.

"How many times have I heard that now?" Rukia asked, smiling.

"It's not like we'll never see each other again. Why should it matter how many times I say it?" Ichigo refuted.

"You're right..."

 **"Take care of yourself."** Artoria said.

 **"Later, Midget."** Altria said, picking up the baton from her boyfriend.

"I AM NOT A MIDGET!" Rukia roared at the three of them, as they escaped her wrath by going inside the Senkaimon, leaving Soul Society.

Renji, on the other hand, was holding his stomach, snickering, before Rukia's small fist buried itself in his face.

* * *

 **Karakura Town**

The Senkaimon opened high in the skies of Karakura. Ichigo and the girls leaped out of the portal to the afterlife and landed atop one of the large buildings just outside the river. They landed perfectly, after which Ichigo took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Keigo shouted from the nearby riverbed.

"Hm…?" Ichigo and the girls looked down and saw Mizuiro, Keigo, Tatsuki, Chad, Uryū, Orihime, his dad, Karin, Yuzu, and even Urahara and Yoruichi rushing up and gazing at them. They smiled warmly at them.

"Onii-chan! Onee-chan! over here!" Yuzu yelled cheerfully.

"Yuzu, they are over there…" Karin pointed and corrected her.

The younger of the twins soon sifted her vision and started waving, which made them chuckle.

"Hey! Hey, everyone!" Orihime cheered, waving at them.

"What took you guys so long?" Uryū questioned.

Uryū then adjusted his glasses and smiled slightly, while Chad just smiled and lightly waved. Isshin, Urahara, and Yoruichi were present and chose to stay silent as well, though the latter, being in cat form, wasn't likely to say a word, to begin with.

Ichigo held Artoria and Altria's hand as they looked at each other and smiled warmly as they turned their gaze at the blue sky.

* * *

 **Notes**

 **1) Laser Excalibur of Galactica Saber from Capsule Servant.**

 **2) Galactica Saber's Blue Gauntlet, Blue Arm Pad, and Black Glove.**

 **3) Galactica Saber's Wings but black with golden ends.**

 **4) Saber and Saber Alter's Armour from Fate/stay Night.**

* * *

 ** _Sorry for the late update. Things got busier last month. So to make it up I wrote this extra-large chapter and finished the entire Fullbring Arc in one go. From the next chapter, The Final Arc begins._**

 ** _Next Time: New War and Old Enemies_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	11. New War and Old Enemies

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester: ekaterina016_**

 ** _Sorry it took so long for this chapter to come out, my pc was broken and got recently fixed. Then I sent the chapter to my Beta tester ekaterina016. You guys should also checkout his stories. _**

**_A.N- All of the previous chapters haven been reuploaded after being beta tested by ekaterina016._**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 11:_** ** _New War and Old Enemies_**

* * *

Alarms were going off from all sides, filling the underground laboratory with the various alerts ringing and flashing lights illuminating the endless monitors composing the lab's walls. All across the floor, various beings, each dressed in white lab coats, were rushing from one set of computers to the next, all in response to these distressing alarms; each of their voices competing with the sirens.

"102 Hollows destroyed, Sector 902-0201!"

"51, destroyed in Sector 6603-8983!"

"Adjusting the barrier invasion rate to 0.24!"

A massive elevator stood at the lab's south side, cranking along, signifying an individual was quickly approaching the bottom floor. As the gates opened, two people rushed out onto the lab floor. The Captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a rather lanky-looking figure in a long white Haori, adorned with a flamboyant headgear, stepped out along with one of his close assistants, a man named Akon.

"3rd Seat Akon! The Hollows just keep vanishing, one after another!" One of the men rushing about the lab floor addressed, making his way to both the Captain and his aide. "At this rate, the barrier between this world and the human world...!"

"I've already reported that!" Akon shot back. "If you have no new intel, then back down!" As the man lowered his head in apology, backing away, Akon turned to his Captain with a distressed expression. "Captain..."

"Yeah," Mayuri answered. "It can only be them... and them alone."

* * *

 **Karakura Town**

Ichigo Kurosaki was walking down the street leading to their house, accompanied by his girlfriends. The sun was just beginning to recede beneath the skyline, throwing numerous ever-changing shadows of half-light over them. Orange light seeped over Ichigo, swathing his body to match his hair. It had been several weeks since the incident with Ginjo Kugo, and everything was slowly returning to normal. However, something was nagging at Ichigo. _Something_ just didn't seem right; he felt uneasy… almost as if something very bad was about to happen.

"It was a good thing we came at the right time," Artoria broke the silence.

When they were coming home from school, they sensed some Hollows and 2 Shinigami's Reiatsu, which were lowering to a dangerous level, so they decided to check it out and found Kurumadani Zennosuke – also known as Imoyama – and the Afro's duty was taken over by another 2 Shinigamis. They were attacked by Hollows and were about to die, when Ichigo and the girls came just in time to save them, before they took the two of them to Urahara for treatment.

"You are right about that. If we were late even for a moment, then those new Shinigamis would have been dead," Ichigo voiced.

Altria sighed. "Seriously, are all the Shinigamis in the Soul Society this weak? How can they protect a city if they can't even handle 3 Hollows?"

Ichigo and Artoria could only laugh nervously at her words.

"So, what is with you?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, looking at Altria.

"You have been on edge for some days now. You didn't forget we also feel what you feel right?" Altria raised an-eyebrow.

"Sorry, it's just that…I can't help but feel something really bad is about to happen." Ichigo looked up at the sky.

"Are you sure you are not just getting paranoid?" Altria asked.

"After all that has happened in the last two years, I will not blame him." Artoria voiced.

"Maybe you are right… Perhaps, I am just getting paranoid." Ichigo sighed.

As they reached their home and walked inside, they saw Uryū, and Chad sitting on the living room, along with Orihime who had a big tray of buns hanging from her neck. "Welcome home you guys!" She greeted in her usually bubbly voice.

"What are you all doing here?" Altria asked, as they sat down on the chairs.

Orihime brought forward the tray. "I had these leftover bread from the bakery, so I thought, why don't we all eat them together?"

"And so she invited us here," Uryū finished.

Ichigo hummed. "Well, then, let's go to my room," he invited, as he got up and carried the plates. During that time, he also told them about the newly posted Shinigamis and what happened.

"We did sense some Hollows and Shinigamis fighting when we were coming here; we were about to go there, but stopped when we sensed you three already heading towards that direction," Uryū said.

"It's good you three saved them in time, or it could have been worse," Orihime said.

After sharing the bread – and setting aside _really_ big portions for Artoria and Altria – something occurred to Ichigo. "Now, that I think about it, I forgot to ask for their name."

"Seriously?" Uryū dryly pointed out.

"Very well, then, allow me to tell you," A voice from behind Ichigo said. They turned to look and saw a man dressed in a white military uniform with a mask fragment covering his-eye standing on the bed. "My name is Ivan Azgiaro. Do you have any other question?"

"You know that you're an Arrancar, and coming here means death right?" Altria asked.

"Pardon? Could you say it again? I didn't hear well-" Ivan was cut off by Ichigo kicking him in the face, making him jump back.

"Who is he?" Chad asked, as they stood up.

"He is obviously an Arrancar, like Altria said," Uryū answered.

"Well, I will take care of him outside," Ichigo said, as he used the badge and removed himself from his body.

"Okay, we will join you when we finished the bread," Chad said with a thumbs-up, as they all sat down and resumed eating.

"I will be finished by then!" Ichigo replied with a tick mark on his head.

He left the house from his window and saw Ivan holding his face.

"Why would you kick me without warning...? Are you some kind of fool...?!" Ivan said angrily.

"Oi! You've got some kind of business with me, right?! Come with me, and I'll hear you out!" Ichigo said.

"Business with you...? Don't be so arrogant... Aren't you just curious to know who I am?!" Ivan asked, but Ichigo turned away and flapped his wings, flying away.

"I'm not! Let's go!" He said loudly to him, heading the other direction, which Ivan followed.

"W-Wait!" Ivan yelled, annoyed.

"How annoying. And he's really following me… So, Arrancar, what do you want with me?" Ichigo asked when they stopped, as Ivan's eyes widen in anger, making his own eyes narrow more.

."..Arrancar?" Ivan said, as he moves up towards Ichigo's height.

"Are you alone? Are you following someone's orders? What do you gain by fighting me?" Ichigo kept asking questions, as Ivan gritted his teeth.

"Me, an Arrancar?" Ivan whispered in anger, while Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

 _'His Reiatsu is odd.'_ Ichigo thought while he unsheathed his Zanpakutōs, still sealed and covered in the Invisible Air.

."..I'm _not_ an Arrancar," Ivan scowled at him, as a Quincy necklace came down his sleeve when he moved it, making Ichigo's eyes widen in complete shock. He moved his hand, creating a crescent-shaped weapon several times his own size, featuring four cannon-like protrusions.

"That's not a normal Quincy weapon…" Ichigo whispered, shocked.

"... What's the matter? Does it remind you of something, Ichigo Kurosaki?!" Ivan said, smiling, as he fired the cannons, which Ichigo dodged them easily.

This dodge-the-cannon game went for a minute. "You can never defeat me without your Bankai!" Ivan mocked.

Ichigo noted the taunt. But he kept his mind calm and fired an unnamed Reiatsu Burst at Ivan. In return, Ivan fired his cannon, and both projectiles collided, creating a big blast.

"Come on, Kurosaki; use your Bankai!" Ivan taunted again.

 _'More taunting,_ Ichigo thought to himself. ' _He's leading me towards something... I can tell.'_

Kicking off of the ground, Ichigo dodged the blasts mid-air and took another swipe at the apparent Quincy. Again, it was blocked by a cannonball. Ivan grinned at Ichigo. "Shall I take that as a 'no'?"

"Very well, if you want to die so badly," Ichigo pointed his Zanpakutōs at the sky, while Ivan just grinned even wider and reached into his pocket for something. **"Bankai."**

The air around Ichigo started to shake violently as the Arrancar laughed, holding up a medallion with a star-cross on it and began chanting some spell. Nothing seemed to happen and Ichigo smirked and Shunpo'd in front of him, bringing down Morgan and creating a big gash on Ivan's right side. Ichigo then let out a small taunting chuckle. "Did you really thought I was going to use my Bankai on some low-level weakling like you? What an idiot!"

"You bastard!" The man shouted, holding his right side of the chest.

"Quarta Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer was the only one of the two individual I deemed worthy enough to use my Bankai. But you? You're not even on the level of the lowest-ranked Espada," Ichigo mocked, which set the man off. The Arrancar charged him with a furious mad look in his-eye. When Ivan reached point-blank range, Ichigo fired a Reiatsu Burst forced with Invisible Air. The collision caused a small explosion which severely wounded the Arrancar.

"Dammit, dammit…!" He coughed in pain, hunched over in the air.

Before any of the two could make a move, Ivan's shadow started to envelop him as he disappeared.

"Strange…" Ichigo muttered. He turned back and started to fly to his house, when he suddenly stopped to see up.

"ICHIGOOOOOOOOO!" A loud childish voice shouted directly above him.

Ichigo opened his arms and braced himself as he caught the flying green projectile before it crashed into him. "Nel!" He held her, carefully rubbing her hair while she sobbed into his chest. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

"Hueco Mundo…" Nel continued to cry.

"Yes, what about it?" Ichigo had a bad feeling about this.

"Hueco Mundo was attacked!" She finally blurted out.

Another figure fell from the sky and would have flown passed Ichigo, but he caught him by the ankle and held him upside down like a fish. "Pesche?" Ichigo shouldn't have been that surprised, since Nel's brothers would be right behind her wherever she went.

"Yo Ichigo! Hueco Mundo was attacked!" He shouted, still upside-down.

"Yeah, I know," Ichigo said.

"Really?! How do you already know?" The bug-faced Arrancar asked.

"Nel just told me. Now, explain everything to me in detail." Ichigo ordered.

* * *

 **VANDENREICH**

"We still don't have much information on Ichigo Kurosaki, Your Majesty," a long blonde-haired man said, as he stared at the dead bodies of the Arrancars with apathy.

"True, Haschwald, but even the mightiest forces of nature can be tamed and controlled," a much older man said, sitting on a throne. "There's a reason I put him as number one on the list of special threats. Little is known about his Zanpakutōs, and we have almost no information on his Bankai, other than it takes the form of two lances… and is very powerful." He stood up and walked up to the steps behind his throne.

"How do you propose we deal with him, Your Majesty?" Haschwald asked.

"Don't be foolish, Haschwald. I don't think you or any of the Sternritters could stand much of a chance against him. I will deal with Ichigo Kurosaki personally when the time comes; anyone else would merely be fodder to him." He chuckled.

"Shall I inform the Sternritters not to approach Kurosaki under any circumstances?" The blonde man asked.

"No need; if anything, they'll provide a good distraction for him," Yhwach ordered, without remorse for any the potential loss of soldiers in the future.

* * *

 **Kurosaki House**

Nel was sitting on Ichigo's lap, with Artoria and Altria alongside, along with Uryū, Chad, and Orihime.

"How did this happen?" Artoria asked.

"After Lord Barragan died and Stark disappeared, Lady Halibel was the one technically governing Hueco Mundo along with me, but... we were suddenly attacked by masked men; Lady Halibel managed to save Lady Nel and me. But she, on the other hand, she was taken away! I don't know who did it, but it seems like their goal is to abduct Arracncars to use us as their vanguard... They already took away lots of them... But… my main issue is... They already captured Dondochakka..." Pesche explained sadly.

"Guess we got to go to Hueco Mundo," Ichigo said.

"I'm sorry. I can't go with you this time," Uryū suddenly declared, confusing them.

"If you have something to do, then we can understand; don't worry too much," Artoria assured.

"Oh. You seem to be having fun," Urahara called from behind them, sitting on the windowsill. "Shall I arrange... your _trip_ to Hueco Mundo?"

"Great… of course you're the only one left alone…!" Altria said dryly.

* * *

 **Soul Society**

The gates of the Head Captain's office opened slowly, drawing the attention of the wizened Yamamoto who sat at his desk. Before he could question it, the figure of a rather lanky individual wearing a superfluous head ornament, along with a white Captain's Haori, stepped to the forefront of the office.

"Captain Kurotsuchi? I was not expecting you; I had already sent Lieutenant Sasakibe to meet with you at the Squad 12," the elder Captain explained.

Mayuri retained a stern expression, one riddled with seriousness, as he approached the desk. "Well, this couldn't wait, dear Head Captain. There's something we need to discuss."

Raising his-eyebrow, the elder Captain slowly sat up, looking straight up at Mayuri. "Something which cannot wait until morning, Captain Kurotsuchi? After all, it-"

"Two days ago, I mobilized members of the Twelfth Division and ordered them to kill twenty-eight thousand citizens of Rukongai," Mayuri declared, cutting him off abruptly; a cold and stern tone carried his words into the Head Captain's ears, causing the latter to tense up a bit with his eyes narrowed.

."..what exactly are you telling me, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Yamamoto questioned.

As he raised his hand up, curling his fingers into a fist as he did so, Mayuri glared back at the elder Captain. "While the consequences have not been clear enough for the common Shinigami on patrol, there has been an increase of spatial disturbances in the World of the Living. Though it is all but confirmed, this is most likely due to the recent decrease in Hollow populations in scattered areas of both Hueco Mundo and the Human World. To date, an average of sixty-five hundred Hollows has been eliminated daily for over a week now. And suffice to say, we're beginning to see the problem such an occurrence. In other words…" Mayuri explained, his facial muscles relaxing a tad. "In order to balance them out, I ordered the execution of at least twenty-eight thousand Rukongai citizens. As we expected, the spatial disturbances started to decline after a while. But as of an hour ago... they started up again."

Yamamoto stood up fully this time, staring directly toward Mayuri. ."..considering the circumstances, if you had simply asked for permission, you would have received it. Was such a rash move necessary? Such things are beneath you… or so I thought, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"If I had waited, the situation could have gotten worse. Knowing how you and the Central 46 operate, requesting permission and waiting for it would have been a hassle. An annoying one."

The elder Captain scoffed softly. "I understand the urgency, but if the Department of Research and Development were faster in reporting and dealing with the issue, the proper measures could have-"

"No," Mayuri shot down, raising his right hand out to his side. "Don't even try blaming us for that. This is all on _you_ , dear Head Captain. The signs were always there. From the moment I informed you of this possibility... How long ago was that again?" The Captain, almost in a joking manner, pondered, before gazing back at Yamamoto with that same serious glare. "When that Ryoka, Uryū Ishida, first invaded the Seireitei along with Ichigo Kurosaki, I knew it presented a simple conclusion: that something like this might happen. You deemed it a groundless fear and chose to dismiss it, but look at the evidence now!

"Hollows disappearing, not just moving on and reincarnating.

"Spatial disturbances, the balance between worlds tipping.

"This is them, and only them! There's no other answer!"

"Just stop it now!" Yamamoto roared.

"Stop shying away from reality! Have you gotten _soft_ in your old age, perhaps even _senile_?!"

It was clear the usually-collected Mayuri was now engulfed in a momentary burst of rage. Who would ever talk to the Captain-Commander in such a way and expect to live afterward? But there was no mistaking the meaning of those words, and Yamamoto knew it.

"It's all because... you failed to kill _that man_ a thousand years ago."

* * *

 **Garganta**

Ichigo's group made it through the tunnel and gate to Hueco Mundo, before falling through the sky. On their way down, he noticed some odd-looking soldiers loitering about, before his eyes narrowed and glanced at Urahara, who nodded as they land behind a rock, hiding from the enemy.

Ichigo got up and saw many Arrancars' dead bodies… as well as other humanoid-like things?

"That's awful..." Chad said, to which Ichigo nodded, before noticing Nel's tight hold on his hands.

 **"Merciless, even for my standards,"** Altria muttered.

 **"From their wounds, it is obvious they didn't even stand a chance against the enemy,"** Artoria said.

"I don't like it here... Look at these blue flames. It's condensed Reishi. That's what they use. Thanks to that. they were able to set fire to rocks and sand of Hueco Mundo, which usually can't burn... but we lost our leadership and couldn't fight back. Without Halibel, they wouldn't listen to me. The only thing left to do was escape," Nel said sadly.

"What will happen to the ones who were dragged away just now?" Ichigo asked.

"They'll probably be taken at their camp... and divided into two group: to be killed, or to be recruited," Pesche answered.

Ichigo, Artoria, and Altria ran forward, trying to take a good look of the place when they saw something. "What is going on over there?" He asked.

"It must be Haribel's Fracción. They act like cannibalistic beasts," Nel said, as Ichigo's eyes narrowed quickly.

"What are you doing here?!" Ichigo hissed, surprised.

"I am here to have your back!" She replied with a thumbs up.

 **"Is that so?"** Altria said. **"Well, stay behind us when we arrive; whoever their enemy is, it's far stronger than them."** Her words made Nel's eyes widen in shock as she hastened her pace, worried for the three.

They suddenly see a bigger explosion, which Ichigo and the girls jumped over the rubble it created – he instantly grabbed Nel bridal-style and used Shunpo to dodge a blast of Reishi, before reappearing again in front of the man who fired the arrow.

"Oops, I missed," Quilge said, smiling.

"So, _you're_ the Quincy whose attack I sensed, I'll take you down quickly before you can get to full power," Ichigo said, putting Nel down. "Artoria, take Nel back to the others and put up Avalon. Altria, stay with me, but keep watch for other enemies," he ordered.

 **""Okay.""**

"A Shinigami… with an Arrancar behind him. Now, this is curious. However... I know who you are. Ichigo Kurosaki," Quilge said. "Your information was in the data given to us by His Majesty. You figured as the "#1 Special War Potential, to deal with right away!" He yelled, as three other Quincies appeared behind him.

Ichigo then disappeared and reappeared behind the three soldiers, as cuts appeared all over their body, dropping them to the ground. "As I thought, you guys are Quincies."

"As you said... We _are_ Quincies. You know us very well. We..." Quilge fired multiple powerful arrows at Ichigo, who easily dodged them.

"Your arrows are stronger than Uryū's..." The boy commented, as his eyes narrowed.

"Uryū... Are you talking about Uryū Ishida?" Quilge inquired, making Ichigo's eyes narrow more.

"So, you know him. Who the hell are you anyway?" Ichigo asked.

"Uryu Ishida's Heilig Pfeil… is less powerful than mine...? That's weird. It's impossible. Oops. Speech is silver. Silent is good. Pardon me, I spoke a little too much, and it seems the data was right – you are very dangerous. After this fight, I'll have even more things to report to His Majesty," Quilge said, putting his sword away.

"Who is 'Your Majesty'?" Ichigo asked.

"Answering is pointless. Why do you need to know? I was just ordered by His Majesty... to defeat you right away."

Ichigo scoffed at his words. In one quick movement, he drew his sword and dashed forward in an attempt to cut him down. The Sternritter's eyes widened as he barely managed to parry the strike with his rapier; the massive force of the blow still sent him flying back, though.

"By His Majesty's orders, I eliminate you!" Quilge shouted, firing arrows from his sword.

Ichigo easily dodged, going around the barrage to attack from the right. "Is this really all you have?" He drove Morgan's hilt into the man's stomach, making the Quincy cough in pain and try to attack again, but his arrows were once again evaded.

"I see… anything less than my full power just won't be enough," Quilge said, smirking while reaching into his pocket. "Are you familiar with the Quincy technique known as 'Letzt Stil'?"

"I have heard about it. it gives you a tremendous amount of power… but in return, after some time, you will lose all your powers." Ichigo answered.

"That is an outdated technique! The new complete version is called _'Vollständig'_!"

He pulled his hand out his pocket, revealing a glove with the five-point cross emblem on it. Reishi gathered around him, forming a tall tower with a star atop it. When it dispersed, it revealed the man now with a set of wings, and a halo all made out of Reishi.

"I still win, since I have 3 more pair of wings." Ichigo joked, flapping his wings, as Quilge frowned.

* * *

 **VANDENREICH**

"Your Majesty, Ichigo Kurosaki is in Hueco Mundo. Currently, Quilge Opie is engaging him," a soldier informed Yhwach.

"He's in Hueco Mundo?" Yhwach was surprised by this turn of events, but then smirked. "Perfect, Quilge will keep him busy for a while. Haschwald, gather the Sternritters – we will now invade Soul Society."

A few minutes later, the blonde-haired Quincy was leading the army through the gate of the sun.

"I heard the biggest threat is not in Soul Society right now," a Sternritter with a red Mohawk said with disgust.

"What's the problem with that. Bazz B?" Haschwald asked.

"Just seems kind of cowardly His Majesty is nutting up to attack Seireitei when Ichigo Kurosaki isn't even there," his childhood friend said, cracking his knuckles.

"Don't concern yourself with His Majesty's plans," Haschwald said with a cold glare.

The Quincies finally quieted down and prepared for their initial assault.

* * *

During the battle, Ichigo released his Shikai and was able to easily overpower Quilge, though before he could finish him off, _something_ interrupted them as it punched Quilge on the face. When the dust steeled down, they saw a giant beast.

"W-What is this creature?!" Quilge asked, shocked at its form.

Three Arrancar women stood behind him, whom Nel called the Tres Bestias.

"You let your guard down because you thought we couldn't fight anymore," Mila Rose said.

"Even though I told you not to underestimate us" Sung-sun continued.

"NOW, SHOW YOUR POWER TO THAT CONCEITED FOUR-EYED MONKEY, AYON!" Apachi roared.

 **"What is that creature?"** Artoria asked.

 **"It seems to be some kind of Hollow,"** Altria said.

"Ayon is a monster created by our left arms. He has power, but no discrimination." Apachi explained. "You Shinigamis aren't our enemies this time, so if you don't want to die, then leave."

"There is no way my Vollständig will be defeated by a monster like you," Quilge said, getting into a defensive position. But it was in vain, as Ayon punched him, sending him flying.

It became nothing but one-sided torture from then on, as Ayon kept punching him, before he buried the Quincy's entire upper body on the sand with a powerful punch. Except for the Tres Bestias, everyone was shocked at the brutality.

"This is crazy. It is completely overkill," Chad said.

 **"It is truly nothing but a monster,"** Artoria said.

 **"You are right about that sister."** Altria agreed.

"Did he get a bit too far?" Apachi laughed. "I can't believe that guy is still in one piece after all th-"

She was interrupted by an arrow to her chest.

"Power of this level was not included in the report. I have to suggest to His Majesty to strengthen the Blut," Quilge said as he got up, much to the shock of everyone. "But before that, I must quickly expedite your demise."

Ayon blindly charged at him.

"Wait, Ayon; don't go!" Mila Rose ordered… but it was too late.

"SKLAVEREI!" Quilge exclaimed, as Ayon's body started to break apart and get absorbed to his body, creating a blinding light. "This uses a Quincy-based ability to gather Reiatsu in the most powerful way... by _enslaving_ it. I actually... didn't want to use it. Because my holy wings... will turn into something wicked and dirty."

When the light slowly vanished, they all saw what Quilge had become.

"Now, you look outside just like how you are inside," Ichigo said, without the slightest bit of humour.

"Let's see if you can best me now, Ichigo Kurosaki." He laughed.

"I wasn't even trying before," Ichigo added, appearing behind him with Shunpo. "But now you have my undivided attention."

 _'He's faster than I thought!'_ Quilge just barely blocked Excalibur, which would have taken his head off. However, Ichigo moved even faster again, and cut off his left arm. Just like before, it became a one-sided fight.

"Wow, he's kicking that bastard's ass," Apache said while Orihime was healing her injuries.

 **"Of course! Weaklings like him can never defeat Ichigo,"** Altria proudly said.

"You two are really lucky women, Artoria-san, Altria-san," Urahara said, watching the fight with binoculars, making them blush. They continued to observe from a safe distance as Ichigo beat down the Quincy over and over again. The ex-captain's phone suddenly started ringing, though. "Hello, Kisuke Urahara speaking… Ichigo, you have a call!"

"At a time like this?!" Ichigo yelled.

"Just take it!" He shouted, throwing the phone across the battlefield.

"Damn it!" Ichigo sheathed Excalibur and caught the phone. "Hello? Akon… Yes, I am in Hueco Mundo with the others," He said, while deflecting a barrage of arrows without even looking at Quilge. "My opponent is of no problem at all. What is the situation over there?" Ichigo attacked while still talking on the phone. "Really?! Four of them lost their Bankais?!" The Sternritter blocked the Ichigo's blade with his rapier, but was unprepared for the sudden Invisible Air which struck him in his chest. "Alright, I'll be there immediately."

And with that, he hit the 'End' button and placed the phone in his Shihakusho. "I have to go quickly," Ichigo whispered.

* * *

 **Soul Society**

All across Seireitei, the Stealth Force were busy planting transmission swords across the battlefield. The Tentei Kura was far too taxing to maintain, not to mention a drain on valuable spirit energy. Through the swords, the Shinigami would be able to maintain communication without the side effects of Kido dampening their ability to do so.

Co-ordinating the effort, the Research and Development Division furiously worked from their Lab.

 **"Attention!"** Rin's voice blared from the numerous blades; reaching the ears of the Shinigami. **"To all Captains and Lieutenants currently within the Seireitei: The Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki is currently on his way to the Soul Society!"**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of Squad Twelve pulled a face brimming with disgust. "Damn that Akon, acting without orders..."

Elsewhere, the giant form of a man with shaggy black hair began to tremble with anticipation. His gripped his sword tightly. "Excellent!" Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the Eleventh Division laughed to himself, breaking into a psychotic grin. "Ichigo is coming here!" Kenpachi then looked in front of him, breaking into a wide toothy grin. "I take it you're the boss of these scrubs?"

"Kenpachi Zaraki," Yhwach stated slowly and purposefully; turning to face the Captain. "To think you would seek me out first. I would have thought you would at least engage one of my Sternritter."

"Why would I bother with small fry when the boss is right out here waiting for me?" He chuckled. "After all..." The crazed Captain leaped into the air; sword raised above his head. "YOU MIGHT BE THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT I'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME!"

* * *

Akon gripped his palms tightly as he explained the situation to Ichigo.

"Prepare for stabilization of the Senkaimon, and solidify the Dangai! This information has come directly from Squads Three, Seven and Ten, who have already had their Bankais stolen."

All around him, the Division was in pandemonium. Preparations were being made for Ichigo's arrival, while numerous others monitored the situation on the ground. Yet more of them were attempting to contact Shinigami in the World of the Living, advising them to stay away.

Akon gritted his teeth… and that was when he felt _it_.

A deep rumbling assaulted the air, gaining the collective attention of the Division almost immediately. The ground began to shudder and shake violently beneath their feet. Rubble fell from the ceiling above their heads, prompting several of them to scream.

The entire Research Institute was lifted into the sky.

Rubble and metal fell through the air beneath it as it hovered in place. Within the building, the staff began to scream and panic.

A man in a white cloak watched the building with a wide smile plastered across his face. His arms were raised to his sides, and he soon began to tremble with glee. "Oh what tragic sanity you've all imprisoned yourselves in," he said, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "So, you want me to save you?! Do you want me to set you free?!"

The whole building was launched into the sky with so much force it began to break apart. Desperately trying to escape, numerous members of the research teams began to leap from the windows and plummet to the ground.

Landing several miles away, the building crumbled and shattered in an explosion of rubble and dust.

The cloaked Sternritter watched the display, all the while laughing like a lunatic.

* * *

 **Hueco Mundo**

"You think I'll let you go that easily?" Quilge panted in a horrible battered state with one arm remaining. His Vollständig was almost completely gone.

"That is why I am going to finish you now." Ichigo unsheathed Excalibur, as he used some of the Reiatsu from Vortigern. "Reiatsu Burst!" As the light and dust settled down, they saw him with two big gashes on his body as he coughed blood and dropped on the ground, seemingly dead.

Ichigo turned back and started to head to others, and he saw Urahara had already opened a Garganta. "Artoria, Altria come with me; Chad, Orihime, wait here until the situation over there gets under control," he said, looking at the group of friends and Arrancars. "And you, the Tres Bestias, your leader was taken prisoner right?" The three women nodded their heads, looking at him with hopeful eyes. "I give you my word I will come back soon to free her."

Ichigo gave them a smile and jumped into the Garganta, followed by his lovers. "Things are taking a really bad turn," He voiced when they're sealed inside the travel dimension.

 **"Things never stay peaceful for too long."** Altria sighed.

 **"It would have been good if it would,"** Artoria said.

They didn't notice the Reishi flying passed them, creating a barrier in front of them, which then formed a cage to trap them.

 **"What is it now?!"** Altria asked, annoyed.

Back in Hueco Mundo, Quilge stood still alive laughing hysterically, even with the bleeding gashes in his body.

"I am Sternritter 'J the Jail'! Quilge Opie!" He continued to laugh. "You will never escape that prison! Now, watch Soul Society be destroyed!"

Meanwhile, in the Garganta Ichigo looked at his cage in thought.

 **"Is that so?"** Altria said, before she fired a Reiatsu Burst at the barrier, but it didn't do anything. Then all three of them fired it together, but the result was the same.

"I don't think we can leave this prison other than using _that_."

 **"Yes, I agree."** Artoria agreed.

 **"Go ahead,"** Altria encouraged.

Ichigo brought out the Quincy pendant from his Shihakusho's pocket.

Quilge smirked, looking at the barrier sealing the Garganta. "Hmm… so they stopped. They must have finally given up; now, I suppose I need to deal with the rest of you," He said, looking at the group.

"Everyone get back!" Urahara shouted, gesturing for everyone to get underneath the sealed off portal in the air, ignoring the Quincy's mumblings.

"Distance doesn't mean anything to a Quincy, Shinigami!" The Sternritter laughed, pointing his sword in their direction.

"I'm just trying to get everyone out of the line of fire," Urahara said, as Orihime put up her barrier to protect the group.

"What are you talking about?"

Urahara just continued to smile and point to one spot above them. That's when the Quincy finally noticed the dark blue stains slowly encroaching over his light blue Reishi prison. "What the hell is going on here!?"

After a few moments, the prison cracked away, as a large amount of Reiatsu made everyone look away. When it settled down, they saw the twins in their Bankai form, followed by their master.

"You have my thanks for the Reishi," Ichigo casually uttered.

"That form! Why does he have that form!? HOW!? WHAT IS THIS!? YOU'RE NOT A QUINCY! SO… HOW DO YOU HAVE VOLLSTÄNDIG!" Quilge screamed, looking at Ichigo.

Ichigo was now wearing the same armor as Artoria, with his hair growing into waist-length – just like his Bankai – but it was now blond, and his eyes were also green like Artoria. He had the white Rhongomyniad in his right hand, with Excalibur in his left and the scabbard was on his left side of the hip. The wings he had on his back were now completely white like those of an angel. But the main thing which struck others was a crown made of golden light was on his head.

"Actually, I am… from my mother's side," Ichigo answered.

"That's not possible! The information His Majesty gave us-"

"…is severely lacking," Ichigo interrupted, pointing Rhongomyniad at him. "I did not want to kill you, but you leave me no choice. Perhaps if you are reborn, then you may become a better man." With that said, Ichigo fired a Heilig Pfeil from the lance, striking the Sternritter's head.

He dies swiftly without feeling much pain.

Ichigo sighed sadly. "I do not like killing people."

Artoria hummed. **"Sometimes, we have no choice but to do it."**

"Still…"

 **"Get over it already,"** Altria said, annoyed. **"He becomes way too sentimental in this form."**

 **"Just like how he becomes ruthless like you in your form,"** Artoria countered.

"Um… sorry to interrupt… but the Soul Society is still under attack," Urahara reminded.

"Oh, you are right, we must go to save them," Ichigo said.

The three of them jumped inside the new Garganta Urahara created.

* * *

 **Soul Society**

"It's over," Yhwach declared, looking down at the cut-in-half body of the Head Captain. "You may have been the head of the Shinigami…" he muttered, looking down at Yamamoto's severed torso. "But look at you now... _Pathetic_." He began to walk towards the corpse. "You really are a pitiful sight."

He turned to walk away, but stopped when he felt something clutching his cape. Severing Yamamotto's hand from his only arm, he placed his boot on the back of the dying ancient Shinigami's head. Yhwach let out a brief sigh. Around him, it had begun to rain, the downpour washing away the blood of the Head Captain.

"You are a fool, Shigekuni Yamamoto," he said. "Believing you could take me on and succeed. You probably don't even realize why I did not list you among the five War Potentials..." His eyes narrowed discerningly. "Why did you not restore your left arm? If you had ordered Orihime Inoue to do it, she would have. Is it because you did not wish to rely on a human? That has always been your biggest fault: that you refused to rely on anyone else. Even now, you attempted to shoulder the weight of both the Soul Society and World of the Living, and stood before me." He ground his foot down on Yamamoto's head. "But you have lost.

"You grew too soft in your thousand years of peace Genryūsai. That was how I was able to beat you this time. The old you were different; then, you people were known as 'Divisions'… but in reality, you people were just a bunch of murderous thugs. But that was why you were a group to be feared… though all of that changed at the extermination of us Quincies. Let me tell you, Soul Society is going to be destroyed. The Gotei 13 dies along with us a Thousand Years ago."

Yhwach pointed his finger at him as Yamamoto's body was obliterated by the arrows. "Haschwald, tell the Sternritters to destroy the Seireitei," heordered.

"Right away, Your Majesty." His blonde right-hand man nodded his head, passing on the orders.

Yhwach watched as arrows rained down destroying even more of the buildings. "The Gotei 13 has fallen. We'll retreat for now, and wait for the Zero Squad to show up," the Quincy king said, walking away.

He was then momentarily startled by an explosion in the sky. "What was that?"

* * *

Every single Quincy and Sternritter paused, feeling a powerful Reiatsu wash over them. This pressure felt just as powerful as the now-deceased Head Captain. But where his was powerful and fiery like a volcano, this pressure was warm and gentle, with just a hint of dark and oppressiveness.

Byakuya Kuchiki stood- no, leaned into the bloody cater in the wall his opponent had driven him into with his own Bankai. He felt the familiar Reiatsu close by, and managed to force his eyes open to see a mop of long golden hair sticking his head over the hole.

"Ichigo Kur-" He tried to say the newcomer's name, but resulted in mostly precious life fluids coming out.

"Do not speak; you are dying. There is no need to speak," Ichigo repeated, looking at the captain struggling on death's door.

Ichigo carried Byakuya and gently laid him on the ground, ordering, "Stay still; do not move. My sheath Avalon has potent healing powers." He placed it on Byakuya's chest, before it went inside him and started to heal him. "I will take it back after you get better enough for Squad 4 to take care of you."

"Why…?" He asked, feeling himself step away from death, but still in too much pain to move.

"Because if you die now, you will leave Rukia alone. She only has you as her family," Ichigo said, turning to face away from him. "Artoria, take him to Squad 4, then find the injured others. Focus only on those nearly dead; the rest can hold on for a bit. After that, come to us."

 **"Okay."** Artoria complied and went to find the injured.

"Altria, come with me. We will fight together this time."

 **"About time!"** Altria said, smirking, before they went to the confront the enemy who had the most powerful Reiatsu.

* * *

"This Reiatsu..." Jugram Haschwald remarked, looking up at the rain.

"It's Ichigo Kurosaki," Yhwach said, not expecting the young man to be here this early.

"Shall I purge him?" The other asked.

"No, we're leaving," The Quincy King turned to walk away, but halted in his tracks when Excalibur landed on the ground three feet in front of him. "You…" He scowled at the figure who landed in front of him after that, and grabbed the sword.

 **"You certainly didn't think you could just leave like that, right?"** The pale golden-haired woman said, smirking.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Yhwach ignored the Zanpakutō Spirit, and only focused on the man standing before him. "To think you are capable of using Vollständig."

"It is obvious you are the leader of this invasion force. What is your name?" Ichigo asked.

"My name is Yhwach," The king said with a glare.

"So, you were the one whom Quilge was speaking about." Ichigo knew it was this guy… for the sole reason that he had the highest Reiatsu.

Haschwald stepped forward and began drawing his sword as Altria did the same, but both stopped when Yhwach raised his hand to stop his right-hand man. "You are too late; the Gotei 13 has been destroyed!" He declared, trying to rile the boy up.

 **"Perhaps old age has made your senses weak, because we can clearly sense a lot of them are still alive,"** Altria taunted, while smirking at the old man's pathetic attempts to piss them off.

 _'He seems familiar for some reason, even though we have never met. It is like I have known him for my entire life…'_ Ichigo thought with a frustrated look. _'I'll figure it out later.'_

Yhwach summoned his sword and prepared to attack… or would have, if he didn't have to dodge a Heilig Pfeil.

"I suggest you surrender," Ichigo advised, still pointing the lance at him.

 _"Never."_ Yhwach quickly got over his mild surprise at being caught off-guard because of his speed.

"I had a feeling you would say that." Ichigo whispered, "Altria, be careful."

 **"Don't worry,"** she replied confidently, raising her lance and charged at Haschwald, while Ichigo charged at Yhwach at the same time.

* * *

Artoria, having finished her orders, was running over the rubble to reach Ichigo, as her mind was completely conflicted about the fight her boyfriend would have against his opponent… or rather what he might've learned from _him_. Her sprint came to a stop, before she immediately tightened her grip on her lance and got into a battle stance, because she was surrounded by Mask De Masculine, Äs Nödt, Bambietta Basterbine, Jerome Guizbatt.

"Look at what we have here, everyone… a Princess trying to go to her Prince!" Bambietta the 'Sternritter – E' said, smirking.

"Now, I'll show the villain the true power of the hero! Then I will defeat her Prince-" Mask was cut off as Artoria suddenly appeared in front of him, swinging her lance.

 **"What makes you think I will let you harm him?"** Artoria asked, slamming Rhongomyniad into Mask's stomach, hard enough to make the ground behind him to shake, as he vomited blood, sent straight into a building which collapsed on him.

Everyone was shocked at how fast she just beat Mask, who immediately exploded out from the rubble with blood coming from his mouth.

 **"I do not have the time to play with you all, so I will finish this quickly,"** Artoria announced. As all four take out the discs as she watched them release their stolen Bankais. Artoria looked up sadly at "Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō", then looks at "Jakuhō Raikōben", before finishing with "Senbozakura Kageyoshi." **"All of you are crying; I can feel your pain and sadness. I will free you all,"** she declared.

Artoria looked up to see Tengen slash down on her, but a simple raised lance blocked the strike. She then pointed Rhongomyniad at him, whispering, **"Licht Regen."** The shower of arrows struck Tengen's giant body as he begins shaking, shocking Bambietta about the Quincy technique, ending up in him falling, unable to stand.

"What the-" The female Quincy was cut off as she suddenly dropped on the ground, gasping for air.

 **"I have control over the wind – and by extension, oxygen. So, I have simply cut it off around you,"** Artoria informed, angering Bambietta, while black thorns head for her from behind. They tried to get a good hit, but that was in vain, as Äs Nödt also received the same treatment, falling to the ground while asphyxiated. The counter made the fired Jakuhō Raikōben redirected, heading straight for Tengen instead, and hit it, causing an explosion which destroyed both. The impact was hard enough to send Bambietta flying into a building, while knocking Jerome out at the same time.

 **"I'll defeat this Villain!"** Mask yelled, moving fast as he appeared behind Artoria, and launched his face straight at her, which she received with a simple lift of the hand, stopping his flight and making his eyes widen.

"What?!"

Artoria suddenly turns faster than he could dodge, and bashed her lance at his stomach like before, making him cough up more blood, throwing him back just like before.

 **"Heilig Pfeil."** Artoria fired another arrow as Mask tries to get away, but it was a mere distraction – she appeared in front of him and unleashed another prepared Heilig Pfeil at him, blowing both of his arms to smithereens.

He couldn't even scream in time before falling unconscious due to the injury.

"Damn you!" Bambietta roared, activating her own Vollständig and unleashes a shower of her Reishi bombs at the blonde, but before they could touch her, they stopped mid-air, making her eyes widen.

 **"Did you forgot I control air?"** Artoria asked, making the black-haired girl grit her teeth, as she turned and ran from her own Reishi bombs which suddenly fell into her opponent's control.

Artoria then jumped away from her spot to dodge the petals of Senbonzakura, before then extending her right hand to make all the flower petals float around her, causing Äs Nödt's eyes to mirror his compatriots' sizes, before they were sent back to their original wielder-cum-thief.

"You and your Master are a threat to His Majesty. You must be dealt with," Äs Nödt growled as he dodged, knowing he must go all out to place fear into Artoria who was unimpressed.

Suddenly, Mask appeared behind her.

 **"I don't have time for you,"** Artoria said, but her attempt to drive him off – using the same arrows-from-lance tactic as before – failed when they were destroyed from his Blut Vene blocking them!

"I won't die! A staaar would never die! Ever! I would never be killed by you! Jaaaaames!" Mask yelled, as a kid comes running towards them, drawing Artoria's attention.

"YEEEEEEEES! Do your best! Su! Per! Star! Do your best, best, best, Super Star!" James cheered.

"Rahhhhhhhhhh! Energy! I feel iiiiit!" Mask roared, as his shirt gets destroyed, showing his muscles have gotten bigger. "Star power-up is done! Your moment is over! You can die!" He pulled back his right leg, excitedly yelling, "Take this. It's my secret technique when I'm fully powered up... Star Lariat! Star!"

A huge wave was sent at Artoria, which she dodged easily.

"How is it?! When I obtain my full power... I can hit enemies 1 mike away; A.K.A "One Mike Arts"! Star!" Mask yelled as he sent another powerful kick at her, forcing her to skid back. He then unleashed a barrage of kicks at Artoria. "StarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar!" He kept yelling repeatedly, trying to it her with everything.

"Fuahahahahahahahah! In front of a superstar's power, you can't even hold on to a wall or touch the ground with your feet anymore! You will continue to fly through the air for the rest of eternity. And... unable to return to the ground... You'll become dust in front of the Super Stars' godly power!" Mask yelled, flying up high.

"You're so cool! Super Star!" James cheered, as the boy's hero flew above her, creating a star shape in the sky.

"Come on. Take this. STAR FLASH SUPER NOVA!" Mask yelled and laughed, unleashing the star-shaped nova blast on Artoria. "Farewell, Villain… what?!"

A golden barrier halted his flurry mid-way, causing him to stumble. "What?! Just how strong is that barrier?!"

 **"Is that... all you are capable of?"** Artoria asked seriously, dismissing the barrier once he stepped back.

Mask and James gritted their teeth angrily at the taunt, while Bambietta clutched her fist. Äs Nödt silently prepared for another wave, but Mask immediately grumbled, "Now, that they've blocked the final blow of this star... I really can't allow you to live...! My heart is currently burning with the desire... to defeat you in the name of justice! DIE!" He yelled, heading straight down towards her.

Suddenly, the air changed, and he found himself heading straight for Artoria, but unable to stop!

 **"By pushing the air behind you, I have increased your speed to take your control away,"** Artoria stated, using Invisible Air on her arm and speeding up her thrust even more, ramming it into Mask's stomach, creating huge cracks in the air and collapsing the ground and buildings around him, sending him rocketing back through other buildings, rocks, trees, and so on.

She didn't let her guard down, however, as predictably, the masked Quincy blasted off his recent perch with crazed look in his eyes.

"BITCH! BITCH! YOU BITCH! YOU DESTROYED MY ARMS OF THE STAR AND USED MY OWN ATTACK AGAINST ME! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU. WORTHLESS BITCH! IT'S NOT EVEN A MATTER OF JUSTICE AND EVIL ANYMORE! I WILL KILL YOU!" Mask screamed, charging towards Artoria with full speed.

The girl simply materialized Excalibur on her left hand and raised it. **"Reiatsu Burst."**

The golden light enveloped Mask's entire frame, as he yelled in pain, and was thrown away at a building. James rushed towards him to check on him… because he had passed away instantly.

Artoria then turned to one side, looking at Äs Nödt, Bambietta, and Jerome, menacingly saying, **"The rest of you are next."**

"We have to retreat for now!" Bambietta said, bathed in sudden cold sweat along with her colleagues, as the rest nodded. In the next moment, they were all enveloped by their shadows, and disappeared.

With her opponents gone, Artoria resumed making her way to Ichigo.

* * *

Hascwald vanished using Hirenkyaku, with Altria trying to sense him using Pesquisa at the same time. She glanced behind, just in time to notice the Sternritter jump down towards her, swinging his sword at her shoulder. She narrowed her slitted yellow eyes at the sight, flaring her Reiatsu and simply grasped the hilt of her lance tighter.

She pointed Rhongomyniad at Haschwald, shooting a red Cero towards him fast. It forced him to use Hirenkyaku to dodge, but Altria used a Sonido of her own to appear in front of him again, swinging her lance down in turn.

He blocked with his sword, but a Cero was fired point-blank at the instant of contact, forcing the long-haired man to bend his back hurriedly backwards. Altria flashed with Sonido to this newly-created blind spot, aiming to skewer him, but he nimbly spun around and retreated safely.

Smirking, she casually placed the lance on one shoulder. **"You're the one who was eager to fight me, yet you won't even give me a decent fight? You better start fighting for real, or else I'm just going to kill you. You've got yourself to blame for this."** Altria told him seriously before she charged, eager to erase his narrowed eyes at the statement.

Altria's fight was offensive – on the other hand, Ichigo's fight was more on the defensive side.

Even as he just fired a Reiatsu Burst at the smoke-enveloped crater he predicted Yhwach was in, he tersely said, "Come on out. I refuse to believe someone of your calibre will fall just like that."

Obliging, a strong hand shot out of the smoke and gripped the wrist which held his lance. Yhwach threw him to the ground forcibly, keeping a firm grip on the boy's wrist, and with his other arm, he thrust his blade into Ichigo's neck. The area went silent immediately, as if signalling the end of the fight.

"You are still alive, so I will have you healed and fight for us." Yhwach smiled, seeing his victory near.

"Why do you think I will fight for you?" A voice said calmly from below him.

Yhwach's eyes widened, as upon closer inspection he noticed a familiar vein-like patter appearing on the boy's skin where the sword connected, blocking it from piercing his flesh. "Get off of me," Ichigo said, aiming Rhongomyniad point-blank and fired arrows, striking the Quincy King.

"Your Majesty!" Haschwald yelled in concern, abandoning his fight with Altria and rushing to his side. Altria also took the opportunity to go to Ichigo's own.

"Do nothing, Haschwald!" Yhwach leaped back and placed a hand on his chest. It did very superficial damage, but it was still irritating nonetheless. He watched Altria lend Ichigo a hand, as he got up.

"Invisible Air!" Ichigo sent a torrent of air at him.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Yhwach jammed his own sword into the ground to keep himself from getting blown away.

 **"You have seen nothing till now,"** Altria said, as she and Ichigo jumped away to dodge the storm of arrows which destroyed the spot they were originally standing on. **"It seems old age has really dulled your skills!"** She taunted, as she pointed her lance towards him. **"Cero!"** A large red Cero shot at the king who evaded easily, but then Ichigo appeared behind him with Hirenkyaku and tried to slash him. But it's blocked easily and Yhwach counterattacked Ichigo immediately, tearing the sleeve of his clothing and revealing the same blue vein pattern on his arm, which saved his neck a few minutes ago.

"Blut Vene, as I thought," Yhwach reasoned.

"The Quincy defensive technique?" Ichigo asked.

"Do you honestly know about your own heritage, or about your own mother?" The Quincy emperor asked, trying to play mind games.

"Do you mean her being a Quincy?" Yhwach's eyes widened in surprise at the acknowledgement. "I know about it."

The emperor was so shocked he didn't notice Altria sneak behind him, ready to fire a Cero. Haschwald, seeing this charged at her, but Ichigo came in front and stopped him.

 **"Gran Rey Cero!"** Altria then fired the Black Cero, which hit Yhwach squarely, and exploded like a bomb.

Haschwald, who was still struggling with Ichigo, watched his emperor being engulfed with a noticeable scowl on his normally apathetic face. _'Damn you, Ichigo Kurosaki… you and your damn monster…'_ he thought.

 **"I hope that did something at least,"** Altria said to herself, looking at the dust.

However, Yhwach appeared right where he stood before, unfazed, with only the ground around him destroyed. His cape was burned in places, but the only damage he received was the charred patches of skin on his left arm.

 ** _'He must have used it to shield himself from the explosion,'_** Altria thought.

The emperor raised his sword, but stopped when his shadow expanded behind him. "This is…"

"We've reached our limit outside the Shattenbereich," Haschwald said, as he jumped away from Ichigo and went to his king. "You must return to the Vandenreich, Your Majesty."

"Impossible. We still have time…" It was by then Yhwach remembered who he recently came in contact with. "Of course… Sosuke Aizen, in the few minutes I spoke with him… He must have distorted my senses," He scowled, thinking how easily he was fooled. "Haschwald, we're leaving,"

"You come here cause this much chaos and destruction; then you think you can just leave!?" Ichigo yelled.

Yhwach looked back at him. "One day… soon, I will return for you, Ichigo Kurosaki. Get some rest and wait for my return…" A black shadow rose from the floor and lapped at Yhwach's form. As it engulfed him, the Quincy King began to retreat as he vanished, leaving only his voice. "My son, born in the darkness..."

When the couple was left alone, Artoria finally joined them, asking, **"Are you two okay?"**

 **"Yeah, we are fine; not even a scratch,"** Altria answered with a smirk.

"What about you? Are you okay?" Ichigo asked.

 **"I am completely unharmed as well,"** Artoria answered and passed him Avalon, which she extracted from Byakuya after taking him to Squad 4.

Ichigo took the scabbard and put the Excalibur in it, smiling at her response, but then lost it as he looked at the place where Yhwach was standing.

"Son born in darkness…" Ichigo muttered, repeating the foreboding sentence, not noticing Artoria and Altria flinching at his words.

* * *

 ** _Next Time:_** ** _Royal Guards and Royal Palace_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	12. Royal Guards and Royal Palace

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester: ekaterina016_**

* * *

 **Recap:** _"We've reached our limit outside the Shattenbereich," Haschwald said, as he jumped away from Ichigo and went to his king. "You must return to the Vandenreich, Your Majesty."_

 _"Impossible. We still have time…" It was by then Yhwach remembered whom he recently came in contact with. "Of course… Sōsuke Aizen; in the few minutes I spoke with him… he must have distorted my senses." He scowled, thinking how easily he was fooled. "Haschwald, we're leaving,"_

 _"You come here cause this much chaos and destruction; you think you can just leave!?" Ichigo yelled._

 _Yhwach looked back at him. "One day… Soon, I will return for you, Ichigo Kurosaki. Get some rest and wait for my return…" A black shadow rose from the floor and lapped at Yhwach's form. As it engulfed him, the Quincy King began to retreat as he vanished, leaving only his voice. "My son, born in the darkness..."_

 _When the couple was left alone, Artoria finally joined them, asking, **"Are you two okay?"**_

 ** _"Yeah, we are fine; not even a scratch,"_** _Altria answered, smirking._

 _"What about you? Are you okay?" Ichigo asked._

 ** _"I am completely unharmed as well,"_** _Artoria answered and passed to him Avalon, which she extracted from Byakuya after taking him to Squad 4._

 _Ichigo took the scabbard and put the Excalibur in it, smiling at her response, but then lost it as he looked at the place where Yhwach was standing. "Son born in darkness…" he muttered, repeating the foreboding sentence, not noticing Artoria and Altria flinching at his words._

* * *

 ** _Chapter 12: Royal Guards and Royal Palace_**

* * *

"Teams 11 to 16, move out to East District 56!"

"Body collection is to be postponed! Prioritise the wounded!"

"Emergency transportation in progress! Please give us instructions, sir!"

"Take them to Room 303!"

Squad Four dispersed into the ruins of the Seireitei the moment the Sternritters left the Soul Society. Wounded were collected and taken to the Squad Four barracks, no matter how trivial they were. The vast majority of Shinigami involved in the battle had been killed. Squad Eleven had suffered the heaviest losses, being at the front lines.

Thanks to Ichgio's Avalon, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki's life was saved, but he was still heavily injured and was admitted in Squad 4 when Artoria took him there. Because Avalon actually belonged to Ichigo, it didn't work as efficiently for other people. He had deep lacerations all over his body. If those who treated him didn't know better, they would have said the wounds had come from his own Zanpakutō.

They recovered Lieutenant Renji Abarai in the wreckage of a collapsed building. Both of his arms were broken, as well as several of his ribs. Most of his organs had been ruptured by blunt force trauma. Captain Sajin Komamura had several broken bones, but other than that, no serious injuries. The same could be said of Captain Rose.

Kenpachi Zaraki was not so lucky. He was retrieved, unconscious, from beneath the rubble surrounding Yamamoto's battlefield. Bloodied and beaten, he was barely breathing. The Head Captain's body was never recovered. The most they were able to retrieve was his broken Zanpakutō. The ashes of his body had long been washed away by the rain.

Inside Squad 4's barracks, Captain Retsu Unohana stood at the window, forming a statue set against the sky. Looking over the destruction the Quincies had left in their wake, her face remained emotionless.

Behind her, her Lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu bore a haggard and disturbed expression. Tears gripped her eyes as, by sheer force of will, she managed to hold them in. "Why only now..." she whispered. "Are we being sent out...? Not a single member of Squad Four even left the barracks during the invasion... If we had done, we could have..." She trailed off as she attempted to fight back more tears.

"Isane..." Unohana said, softly. "You must not talk based on your feelings. It would have been easy to leave this place and join the fray. However, you know full well precisely why we could not do that..."

Finally releasing her tears, silently, Isane wept. "Yes, ma'am. I understand." Her thoughts, previously flooded with images of her dead sister, focused on what her Captain had said. _'I've been such a fool...'_ she thought. ' _I should know better than anyone... Captain Unohana regrets not being able to save those we've lost, more than anyone here...'_

"There is no need to cry, Isane..." Captain Unohana said, slowly. Not once did she look away from the window. "No matter what happens, do not leave this building." She looked up into the sky. "That was the last order the Head Captain gave us."

* * *

 **Squad 4**

Ichigo and his partners stood in one of the hallways of the Squad 4 watching as the injured Shinigamis kept coming. The three of them had heard everything there was to know about the invasion. About how much destruction there was, how many people they knew had been either injured or killed… all while they had been trapped in Hueco Mundo.

 **"They just keep coming and coming…"** Altria muttered, breaking the silence.

 **"Many were injured in this battle."** Artoria voiced.

"Damn him… just why did he decide to attack _now_ after waiting for 1000 years?" Ichigo wondered.

"Ichigo..." Suddenly, a stoic voice came from one of the doorways leading to the treatment rooms. Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad Five was leaning against the door. His forehead was bandaged, and across his body were various small nicks and cuts.

"Shinji…"

"Rukia and Renji's surgery just ended. You guys can meet them now," he informed.

The four of them entered the intense care room where they saw Renji and Rukia covered in bandages, with the former breathing from an oxygen mask.

A healer came to them and started to inform them of the situation of the two injured Shinigamis. "Reiatsu healing wouldn't have been enough in their case, given the scope of their injuries. So, we had to operate directly and sutured the Reishi in the most critical area. They have cleared the most critical huddle, and are now in stable condition..." The Shinigami then bowed to them, before leaving the room. "I will take my leave now, please call me if anything comes up."

 **"Hey, midget, you look like hell,"** Altria said, looking down at Rukia.

"How many times do I have to tell you… I am not a midget!" She replied weakly.

They chuckled, seeing her spirit and personality were still intact.

 **"You should get some rest now,"** Artoria said.

"Don't worry; he just said my condition is stabilising, but you guys came back to protect Soul Society." Rukia looked at them with a thankful gaze.

 **"Well, someone has to keep you guys from dying, so why not us, like always?"** Altria said.

"Still, I wish I could have done more…" Ichigo said solemnly.

"You dumbass! You were able to drive the big dog away, which counts more than what we did, while we got our asses kicked," Shinji said. "This really is a fine mess we've landed ourselves in..." He muttered, looking over Ichigo. "Though I must say... I'm glad you guys come here. A few of the other Captains may be too proud to admit it, but... it is because of you three we are still alive."

"Excuse me," A voice called from the end of the hallway. A short man, sporting a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, beckoned them. "Captain Kyōraku has called an emergency meeting for all the Captains who can attend it. He has also called Ichigo-sama, Artoria-sama, and Altria-sama."

Ichigo looked over Shinji and smiled. Placing his right hand on the Captain's shoulder, he sighed, weakly. "Thank you, Shinji."

* * *

 **Squad 1**

Ichigo, Artoria, Altria, Tōshirō, Ukitake, Kensei, Shinji, Komamura, Rose and Suì-Fēng stood in silence, when Ukitake decided to break it. "The Head Captain's corpse could not be found... It, along with everything else, was... annihilated by the enemy..." The long-haired captain said in despair, looking at what's left Yamamoto's broken Bankai along with the rest.

"Reporting in," A member of Onmitsukidō said. "Captain Kuchiki and Captain Zaraki have managed to survive, but it will be difficult to Captain Zaraki to continue his duties as Captain. We don't even know if he will ever awak-"

"LEAVE!" Suì-Fēng's sharp voice cut him off before he could finish. "This is the last thing I want to hear right now. Don't you get it!? Head Captain is dead! I don't need your addition on top of that."

"Just stop it! You are embarrassing yourself!" Kensei interjected.

"Embarrassing myself!? I know about the grudge you had against the Old Man. You are probably doing cartwheels inside now that he is dead!" Suì-Fēng spat.

"How dare you…!?"

"Oh…what will you do?" She mocked.

"THAT IS ENOUGH, SUÌ-FĒNG! YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO IS CONSUMED IN RAGE RIGHT NOW!?"

Ichigo snorted as everyone turned towards him.

"You have something to say, Kurosaki?!" Suì-Fēng growled at him.

"Not really. I don't have anything to say to the likes of you. But… how do you think he would feel right now, huh…? He died, doing his duty protecting this place, hoping his trusted subordinates and fellow Captains will defeat the enemy. So, tell me – how do you think he would feel if he saw you all fighting like rabid animals in the streets...? I know he can't possibly know what is happening right now, but… he is probably turning over in his grave right now." No one could look him in the eyes as they gritted their teeth. They couldn't help but agree with his words. "Are you all not Gotei 13? Because if you are, then start acting like one, and get your act together! If you can't, then, well… one can't say anything to that."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Kyōraku admitted, entering the room. His appearance was mostly the same as before, apart from a black eye patch slung over his right eye. "After a sorry display like that... The Old Man would've normally pimp-slapped the offending parties involved. Anyways, 4 days ago, he wrote a will..." he revealed, gaining everyone's attention.

"A will?" Sajin voiced everyone's confusion, as Kyōraku nodded.

"Genshiro Okikiba said the Head Captain wrote down a will, knowing this was his final battle, so this is it." The haggard captain pulled out a piece of paper, before reading it. **"Everyone, don't sulk or grieve, your tears should only be victorious ones. All of you… it is my fault entirely, because I failed to kill Yhwach a millennium ago, and now, everyone is paying the price for my mistake.**

 **"So... from this day onwards, if he chooses to accept this, I, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto Captain of Squad 1 and Head Captain of Gotei 13, using my authority, hereby appoint Ichigo Kurosaki, son of Isshin, former Captain of Squad 10, as Captain of Squad 1 and Head Captain of Gotei 13, with his Zanpakutōs, Artoria and Altria, both acting as his Lieutenants.**

 **"Ichigo Kurosaki, I know this is too much I am asking of you, but I request… no, _beg_ you to lead my people and succeed where I failed. Jūshirō, Kyōraku, it is up to you two to lend him a hand."**

Everyone was speechless… especially Ichigo. "M-Me... as Head Captain...?" He whispered, shocked at this. His eyes travelled to Kyōraku's hand, where a Squad 1 Haori was held in, disbelief apparent in his expression. "Why would he choose a novice like me? I don't have much experience as a Shinigami; it would have been far better if he had chosen you or Ukitake!"

"Yeah, why would Head Captain-" Suì-Fēng's protest was cut off by Kyōraku.

"He told me… when he first saw you, Ichigo, he had a feeling you would succeed him. Ichigo, the Old Man saw something in you which no one else could see. I think I understand why he chose you..." Kyōraku said to Ichigo, who avoided the older man's expecting gaze.

"But I am not a leader…" the boy said, looking away.

"Well, the Old Man definitely saw a leader in you. The Gotei 13... was not established for us to mourn over the death or lament about the destruction fraught upon Soul Society. We are the shields of Soul Society. We will, one step at a time, move forward... For we are... the Gotei 13!" Kyōraku declared confidently.

"The decision is yours, Ichigo… We can all understand if you choose not to; you still have a full human life in front of you." Tōshirō said.

Ichigo was completely conflicted at that moment. "…give me some time to think about this," he pleaded, as Kyōraku nodded, before he and his partners left the room and went to the garden outside.

"I wish I could have talked to him more and get to know him better, though he had his faults he was a good person… for some reason I still can't believe he is gone."

 **"Hmm,"** Altria agreed. **"He was the only one here who could have match you, so to think that someone of his calibre dying in battle is…**

 **"Yhwach stole his Zanpakutō, and that is why he fell in battle."** Artoria said.

"What should I do?" He asked looking at the distance.

 **"It is as they said: this is your decision,"** Artoria replied.

"A part of me is telling me to take the position, while the other is telling to pass it on to someone better."

 **"Both decisions are right, and remember: we will always be with you to help you,"** Altria voiced as she and her twin gave him a warm smile. **"Besides, aren't we those parts of you? Please don't discredit us like that."**

He smiled at the poor joke, and after a minute of silence, he got a decided look on his face. They went back inside the room, inviting everyone to turn towards them.

"So, what is your decision?" Kyōraku asked.

Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment, before steeling himself and took the Haori, putting in on. The sleeveless Haori with Squad 1's kanji written on it felt… oddly comfortable.

"Captain Kyōraku, bring me the files of all the current Captains and Lieutenants," Ichigo ordered, as the older man nodded. "Everyone, return to your barracks and see if they need anything, and tell them to be ready at all times for another attack. Also, make sure the security around the gates and other places where enemy can invade are guarded heavily. Also, Captain Suì-Fēng… send some members of Onmitsukidō to Rukongai and other surrounding places of Seireitei, and tell them to escort the civilians away from this place to safety. Come back here in 30 minutes."

Having received their orders, they all nodded and started leaving the room.

"And he says he is not a leader," Kyōraku muttered, smiling.

"What a natural," Ukitake added, smiling together with his best friend.

* * *

 **30 Minutes Later…**

After receiving the files and going through them, he had decided on his next moves when the Captains came back as they were ordered.

"What is the current situation?" Ichigo asked.

"Several of the most capable seated members have been placed around the gates, and the civilians from the surrounding places have been taken to safety. The Shinigamis who can fight are ready for the enemies," Suì-Fēng informed.

Ichigo nodded. "Good. I have seen through everyone's records. Captain Komamura, you have to swallow your pride as a wolf and have to learn the 'Human Transformation Technique'. I will not have you stay weak and die, when you can become more powerful and survive. I will not lose any more people than I already have."

"Yes, Head Captain." Komamura nodded.

 **"Captain Tōshirō, your Bankai is incomplete... You must awaken its true form! Can you do it alone, or do I have to assign you a trainer or something like that?"** Artoria asked.

"I will be able to do it on my own, Lieutenant Artoria. In fact, I am very close to archiving it," Tōshirō declared.

 **"Good… and Suì-Fēng, your Bankai is not something which will get better with training, but your Shunko can. Finish your Shunko training with Yoruichi. She herself is probably training right now,"** Altria ordered.

"Yes, Lieutenant Altria," Suì-Fēng said, silently happy to see her former instructor once again.

"Kensei, Love, see if you guys can also give some training to your Squad or the others, if anyone there is close to archiving Bankai. If not, then train yourself."

 **"Shinji, go on patrol around the gates once every 2 hours to make sure everything is okay,"** Artoria ordered.

"Captain Kyōraku, currently Squad 6 doesn't have a Captain or Lieutenant, so go and see if they need anything. Until Captain Byakuya Kuchiki or Lieutenant Renji have recovered to assume their duty, it is up to you to lead them as their temporary Captain. Can you do it?"

"Sure I can," He answered casually, grinning.

"All of you are dismissed, except for Captain Ukitake."

When only Squad 13's captain remained, he continued, "Captain Ukitake, we have read about your situation and the Mimihagi…"

"But… how…?!" Ukitake asked, shocked. "That shouldn't have been on my record to begin with! It is a very personal information which is passed on by word of mouth."

 **"Kyōraku passed us Yamamoto's personal diary, in which he kept the most important information,"** Altria answered.

"Come with us." Ichigo ordered.

* * *

 **20 Minutes Later…**

Ichigo and the girls were making their way towards Squad 1, when they saw Kyōraku and some other Shinigamis talking about something.

He then felt some kind of presence. "I feel like something's coming from above us…?" Ichigo voiced, looking up, as Kyōraku's eyes widened in shock.

"It must be the Squad Zero. They are about to arrive… I'll inform the other Captains." Kyōraku said, using some Hell Butterflies and sending them away.

 **"Squad Zero…? There were some records of that name in Yamamoto's diary, but we didn't pay it that much attention due to the time constrains,"** Artoria said.

"I will not fault you for that. Come with me quickly," Kyōraku said, as he leads them towards the Rukongai, where other Captains were already present.

 **"So, what makes this 'Squad Zero' different from others?"** Altria asked.

"While Squad 1 to 13 live in Soul Society, Squad Zero lives with the Soul King in the Royal Palace," he answered.

"The Royal Palace?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"Does it surprise you it exists in Soul Society? Think back to when you first came here... That wall which suddenly came crashing down? This spirit wall is standing before you now because things have been rather turbulent as of late. But, strictly speaking, it's only meant to be used during states of emergency. Now..." Shinji said, as he pointed towards the sky, when suddenly, a large pillar hit the ground.

"The Tenchū-Ren… the preferred method of transportation by Squad Zero. Everyone from Squad Zero is inside that pillar – five of them – and their combined power is greater than all of the Gotei 13 put together."

At that ominous explanation, the door slid open, and five members exited.

Ichigo and his partners watched with interest, their anticipation growing every second, only to be disappointed by the ridiculous-looking group who stepped out, complete with a large flag of their symbol, trumpets, and fifes playing behind them. The trio had no idea what to make of what stood in front of them, contorting their face into an expression of pure disbelief.

"Wooooooo!" One of the Zero Division members hooted enthusiastically.

Another was honking a horn.

The third released multi-coloured streamers overhead.

 _"I literally have no response to this..."_ Ichigo mentally said.

 ** _"Me too."_** Altria agreed.

 ** _"Same here,"_** Artoria echoed.

The foremost member of the group was stout and bald, with a long black beard and a wide smile. On his feet were strange sandals, shaped more like tall blocks of wood. Behind him, holding a banner over his head, was a lean man with a pompadour so huge it almost blocked out the sun. Stood at the back of the group were two women; one monstrously obese and the other bearing an expression of terrifying melancholy. Poking his head around the body of the slender woman was a thin yet muscular man, with black Afro and sunglasses. He was throwing the 'victory' sign with his left hand and grinning widely.

"Nice to see you, yes it is!" The man with the pompadour shouted. "The Royal Guard is here!"

"Just what kind of stupidity is this?" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" Shinji said, distaste etched across his face.

"How are you feeling, little chickadees of the Gotei 13?" Pompadour continued to shout. "Are you eating and sleeping well? Huh?!"

They continued to stare, completely dumbfounded.

"I see why you're surprised," Shinji groaned. "They're clearly insane."

The Captain of Squad Five was suddenly struck across the back of the head by a huge ham-hock of a hand. Lurching forward, he stumbled and fell to his knees. "What the hell was that for?!" Shinji shouted, lifting his head and glaring back at the obese woman who had arrived as part of the Royal Guard.

"Oh, come on, Shinji-chan," the woman laughed playfully. "That was just a love-tap. Where is Hiyori-chan? It's strange not seeing you two together!"

"What are you-!?" He shouted, before catching himself as recognition phased onto his face. "Wait, you can't be...?"

"You're saying you don't recognise me?" Kirio Hikifune, the former Captain of Squad Twelve, cried, pouting. Her huge frame shook as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It's me, Kirio!"

"K-Kirio Hikifune!" Shinji stammered, shocked. "What happened to you?! You look so different!"

"Oh-ho! Shinji!" She laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "I haven't changed that much!"

"Of- course you haven't!" The blonde man said, catching himself. "I-It's just been so long since I've seen how b-beautiful you were!"

"You always were a charmer!" Kirio cried out, playfully slapping him across the arm and sending the Captain flying.

Meanwhile, the tallest member of the Squad Zero had made his way over to Captain Retsu Unohana. Leaning forward with his hands on his hips, his pompadour almost seemed to curve around the back of the woman's head, holding her in place. "Yo..." He hissed. "Been a long time, Unohana." His eyes widened malevolently and his pupils pinpricked. "You still using those healing techniques I taught you?"

The female Captain remained calm. "Naturally."

"Really?!" He cried out, leaping backwards and throwing his hands up in the air. "Well, if that were the case, then how come so many people died? Huh?!"

"Now, now!" The portly bald man cried, leaping up and hooking his shoulder over his comrade's neck. "Let's not hound the poor woman! I know it's been a long time, but we can catch up later!"

"Well, it appears the Royal Guard haven't changed..." Shunsui Kyōraku said, slowly walking forwards, his expression deep and brooding. He was acting unusually out of character, compared to his usual cheerful self. "So, tell me... What is your reason for finally showing up?"

The bald man turned towards Kyōraku and opened his eyes wide. Stood behind the Captain, Ichigo Kurosaki and his partners maintained their confused face. Rather than Kyōraku, it was them whom the Zero Squad member's attention was directed to.

"You are Ichigo Kurosaki..." The bald man said, as all of the Squad Zero members turned towards him.

"Huh? Wait a second, I thought Yamamoto was Head Captain?" Tenjirō asked, confused.

"In his will, he chose me as his successor," Ichigo answered.

"Ohh… well, the reason why we are here now in the Soul Society is to enact the will of the Soul King and rebuild the Seireitei. But first... Ichigo Kurosaki and his Zanpakutōs, we shall be taking you three to the Royal Palace."

"Don't fuck with me!" Suì-Fēng suddenly shouted.

The attention of everyone gathered simultaneously turned towards her.

"I don't care how important you are; where were you when we were being attacked?! While you were sitting back, the Seireitei was reduced to this!" She swung her arm and indicated the smouldering rubble which once was the Court of Pure Souls. "And now you have the gall to come here and say you'll rebuild it?! Give me a break!"

The bald man didn't even respond. Turning back to Kyōraku and Ichigo he began again: "As I was saying-"

"Hey!" Sui-Feng shouted. "I'm talking to you!"

As soon as she took a step forward, she felt a hand wrapped around her wrist. Her arm was wrenched up her back and was pinned firmly in place.

"You're too loud," Pompadour said, looking down at Sui-Feng and tightening his grip on her arm.

 _'When did he get behind me?! I didn't even see him move!'_ She thought in shock.

"Give you a break?" He hissed. "That's my line. You're the Thirteen Court Guard Squads; it's your job to defend the Seireitei, not ours. Our job is to protect the Royal Palace. If you can't even do your job without help, then you're dishonouring your name."

Sui-Feng gritted her teeth and began to tremble.

"I said not now!" A melodic voice suddenly called out, before the bald man leapt into the air and planted a karate-chop down on his comrade's head. Pompadour's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor, foaming at the mouth. "We need to finish doing what we came here for." He folded his arms across his chest.

"That was a bit harsh..." Kyōraku said, looking down at the writhing Royal Guard.

"He needs to learn," the bald man said matter-of-factly. "Before we get caught up with admonishing others and reminiscing old times, we must do the job we came here to do."

"There is no need," a calm female voice said. The second female member of the Royal Guard stood, surrounded by three spheres, her face flat and emotionless. Around her, several automated arms, like those of a marionette, floated. "I have already gathered all of the things we came here to collect."

Inside one of the flowing balls was Renji Abarai, his bandaged body and red hair just about visible past the glare of the sun. The second ball had Rukia Kuchiki, and the third ball had Byakuya Kuchiki.

"All we need now..." The woman said, reaching out with one of her mechanical arms. "Is you, Ichigo Kurosaki, and your Zanpakutōs."

"Stop. The ones inside those spheres… It's far too dangerous for them to leave Seireitei now. You cannot take them away," Unohana said, before Tenjirō suddenly appeared behind her.

"That's why we're taking them with us. I'm sure you understand too. You're too weak to make them recover completely with your power! Admit it... the three of them will eventually die if they stay here! You can't do it. _I'll_ heal them... You understand, right, Retsu? What you're meant to do now is not healing, but to help make another captain get even stronger than he is now… to create the strongest Gotei 13 which has ever existed," Tenjirō explained.

"What is the reason you need us to come with you?" Ichigo asked.

The bald man looked him up and down, slowly. "You shall find out soon enough."

 _"Do you think it has something to do with Soul King?"_ Ichigo asked through his mental connection.

 ** _"Hmm… I believe we should go with them,"_** Artoria said.

 ** _"Let's go with them,"_** Altria concurred.

Their internal conversation was ended when a cheerful voice cut through the silence. **"Hellooooo~!"**

Ichigo glanced down and pulled out the cell phone Urahara had given him. Flipping it open, he was greeted with a projection of the store owner shooting into the air from the screen of the device.

 **"My, my, you look really good in the Head Captain's Haori, Ichigo. It's also nice to see you, everyone!"** He said, **"It has been a long time, hasn't it?"** Beneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, Urahara was smiling cheerfully. **"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to connect, but I'm afraid there was a lot of interference your end. I must say, Mayuri, you really do need to build your communications towers with stronger stuff."**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi hissed between his teeth and attempted to swipe the phone from Ichigo's hand. The orange-haired youth pulled it out of the way and looked up at the hologram. "Urahara. What happened to the Quincy I was fighting after I left?"

 **"Oh, Mr. Quincy!"** Urahara clapped his hands. **"As you can see..."** The image on the projection moved rapidly to the side to reveal his dead body lying on a surgery bed. **"I was studying him. Fascinating, I must say. I was able to learn so much about our foes from this."**

The gathered Captains and Squad Zero members all eyed the hologram with soft expressions on their faces. "And what have you discovered?" Shunsui Kyōraku asked, taking a step forward.

 **"I'm so glad you asked!"** Urahara said, as the camera's focus returned to him. **"I'm sure you're all more than aware of the ability they possess, whereby they are able to steal an individual's Bankai."** Rose and Komamura gritted their teeth. **"They do this by using a small medallion. I managed to retrieve one from him; I'm currently in the process of analysing it in order to determine a weakness we could exploit."**

He steepled his fingers in front of his body. **"However, that is far from their only power... I noticed when the Quincy was fighting Ichigo, he tried to block slashes from a Zanpakutō with his bare hands. This technique is something called 'Blut'. There are two variations of it, but the premise for both is the same: Quincies infuse their blood with Reishi and pass it through their systems. However, there is one major weakness to it. They are two completely separate kinds, one for attack and the other for defence... And as such, they cannot be operated at the same time."**

Several of the Captains opened their eyes wide in dismay. With this kind of information, they would certainly be able to come up with counter-measures against their enemy.

 **"Another ability I managed to discover is known as the 'Vollständig',"** Urahara continued. **"During his fight with Ichigo, he activated it. It overcomes all of the downsides of 'Letz-Stil' and grants the user insurmountable power. Think of this as the Quincies' version of Bankai. It is by far the easiest of their abilities to recognise, as it changes their appearance drastically."**

"None of them used such a thing in the invasion," Komamura said, taking a step forward and lowering his brow over his yellow eyes.

 **"Which gives you an idea of just how dangerous these enemies are,"** Urahara said. **"They were able to reduce Soul Society to this without even using their full power. Furthermore-"** He began, before being cut off.

 **"Hey! What the hell are you doing over there?!"** The voice said, sharply.

Ichigo gasped and opened his eyes wide. "Urahara, that voice... Why is-?"

 **"Huh?! What's that I can hear? Is it that bastard Kurosaki?!"**

Urahara whirled away from the camera and dashed towards the apparent source of the voice. **"No! No! He's not here!"**

 **"Don't lie to me! KUROSAKI!"**

 **"Is it that a house cat I hear!?"** Altria asked in an amused voice.

 **"What the fuck did she call me!?"** The voice yelled. Kisuke ordered Chad and Orihime to quickly get their new ally out of here before trouble started.

 **"AAAAHHHHH!"**

 **"Urahara, why is he there?"** Artoria asked.

 **"Ichigo, Artoria, Altria..."** Urahara said, finally moving back on-screen. His voice was low and his expression strangely serious. **"There is no need to worry about me. Instead... focus on what is needed. Do what you three need to do. I trust you all to make the right decision."** He broke into a slight smile and indicated the individual who had interrupted him. **"And if you're worried about _him_ , don't. I was the one who brought him here. I managed to make a _very nice_ contract with him."**

The hologram vanished as the communication ended.

"Very well, Kyōraku, you are in charge of this place until we come back. See that you carry out what we had discussed earlier," Ichigo ordered.

"I will get on it right away," Kyōraku said.

"Let's go." Ichigo pocketed his phone as he and the girls walked towards the Royal Guard.

* * *

 **Shiba House**

Ichigo stared up at the sign, his face in a mixture of annoyance and confusion.

Above him, two gigantic stone statues held a bright red banner, reading: 'Welcome to Kūkaku Shiba's Palace!'.

"Why on earth are we here in this sorry excuse of a house?" He asked, his face not breaking from his deadpan expression.

"What do you mean by 'sorry excuse of a house'?!" Kūkaku Shiba raged, storming up to him. "Is that any way to greet me after so long? You keep that attitude up and I'm not going to launch you, even if you are now the new Head Captain!"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, exasperated. He slumped over, deflated from the mental stress of having to deal with Kūkaku and the Zero Squad.

The bald member of the Zero Division hopped to the side and indicated the pillar which the Royal Guard had descended in, in a theatrical manner. "She is talking about shooting us back up in this!"

 **"Are you serious?"** Artoria asked horrified.

"Of course I am serious!" He answered, his eyes wide and blank. "Look at the Tenchūren; can you see any kind of propulsion system on it? It can't make it's way back up to the Royal Palace on its own."

 **"So much for the _legendary_ Squad Zero,"** Altria groaned, averting her eyes and huffed.

Looking around the familiar surroundings of Kūkaku's house, Ichigo realised something was amiss. "Hey, Kūkaku... Where is Ganju?" He asked, pulling a confused face.

"Not a clue," she replied, slightly disgruntled. "He is probably off playing with his new friends or something..." Her single-arm indicated the statues holding aloft the sign above her house. "Or, would you believe me if I said I'd turned him into stone and made him hold up the banner?"

Ichigo only groaned and buried his face in his hand.

"So," the bald man said, slapping him on the back. "Are you ready to depart?"

"Call me paranoid, but I really don't think this is safe," Ichigo said, as the stone pillar was lifted into the Flower Crane Cannon.

"Nonsense, my boy!" He replied, his smile wide and beaming. "For centuries, the Shiba Clan has been entrusted with the transportation of the Royal Guard. What did you think this cannon was for?"

 **"Fireworks,"** Altria said bluntly without missing a beat.

The Squad Zero member burst out laughing, repeatedly slapping the pale blond-haired Zanpakutō in the back. "Very amusing, Zanpakutō spirit!" He howled, following the boy and girls into the cannon and entering the stone pillar.

"You know… she wasn't joking," Ichigo said, exasperated.

Looking around himself, Ichigo and girls' flat expression was suddenly filled with intrigue. The inside of the stone column was not what they were expecting. The walls and floor were perfectly flat and smooth, so much so it no longer looked like a rock, but rather polished porcelain. Around the edge of the open space were several seats; room for the five Zero Division members, plus another three. Floating in the middle of the pillar were the three orbs Shutara had enclosed around Renji, Rukia and Byakuya.

The Royal Guard members assumed their positions, sat upon the seats, and Ichigo and his partners followed suit. As soon as they sat down, however, they realised something was amiss.

"Um... There aren't any seatbelts?" Ichigo said, unsure over what was going on.

The bald man only stared at him, blankly. "What are 'seatbelts'?"

 ** _'''Of course they don't know,'''_** The three of them thought.

The Tenchūren was launched into the air with so much force it soon disappeared into the sky. As Kūkaku stood, looking up at the sky, a figure walked up behind her. "You missed your chance to see him off," she said, not even bothering to turn around. "Are you really okay with that?"

"I'll be able to see him soon enough," the reply came quickly. "In the meantime, I can just focus on getting stronger."

"I guess you're right." Kūkaku smirked. "Still... letting him go to the Royal Palace. Do you think Uncle will be okay with it?"

"He was going to find out eventually," the figure said.

"Hey," Kūkaku said, finally turning around. "Ganju!"

Ganju Shiba, who was in the process of walking away, looked back at his sister. "Yeah?"

"Don't think I'm going to let you off if you don't fight in the next invasion." She broke into another smile.

"Don't worry," A large man with slicked-back black hair said, appearing around the side of the building. "I don't think he's going to skip out on it."

"So, I take it you're going to be fighting then, Ginjo?" Another man said, addressing the first. He had long hair and a scar across his forehead.

"Of course," Ginjo replied, flicking his eyes to the side. "It's the least I can do to repay these guys for taking me in. Wouldn't you agree, Tsukishima?"

Tsukishima broke into a strange smile. "I guess you're right." He folded his arms over his chest. "Still... It is a shame Giriko Kutsuzawa declined Miss Shiba's offer to train here."

"Each to their own," Ginjo said, turning his attention back towards Ganju. "So... You going to resume training with us, or not?"

Ganju broke into a smirk. "Of course."

* * *

 **Royal Palace**

The door to the Tenchūren swung open as the pillar landed in the Royal Palace. Ichigo and the girls fell. Cursing the device for its lack of seatbelts, they rubbed their head and rose to their feet.

The trio admired the surroundings as they looked around. Expanding ahead of them was a wide white pathway, decorated and framed by numerous white pillars. At the end of the path, there appeared to be a large city, above which floated a flat platform. Snaking up through this city, from the edge of the path and connected to the platform, was a long staircase. Higher still, five humongous disks were suspended in mid-air. Atop these structures, the specs of a city on each of them could be seen.

At the centre of it all, was a construct beyond comprehension. Resembling a giant cocoon, formed from stone, it hung in the very middle of the sky. Thousands of windows adorned its sides. It almost seemed to draw their gaze towards it, like a magnetic force.

"Beautiful isn't it?" The bald man said, smiling absent-mindedly as he began to walk down the path. "A simple Shinigami is not usually allowed to enter this place." He pulled an odd face and placed his finger against his bottom lip. "However, it isn't really right to say you are a 'simple Shinigami', is it?"

Ichigo didn't bother to listen to the bald man. His attention was still completely focused on the Palace ahead of him. _'This is what Aizen was trying to get to...'_ As he thought about his battle with the latter – and his old enemy's goal – he came to a sudden realisation.

"H-hang on a second!" He called out, after the Zero Division, who were already far ahead of him. "I thought you needed an Ōken in order to enter the Palace! When did we use one?"

 **"Indeed; is it not required to enter this place?"** Artoria asked.

The man with the pompadour turned and grinned. Lifting his arm, he pulled down his sleeve and exposed his limb. "This is the Ōken." He clenched his fist and flexed his muscles. "The Ōken is a gift granted by the Soul King to those who become a member of the Royal Guard. The only way to enter the Palace is if you come with us, or we decide to let you in."

The three of them looked at the man in front of him with confused eyes.

"The Ōken is our bones themselves," the bald man explained, joining his comrade. "What Aizen was trying to do, to enter the Palace, was to create life itself."

Senjumaru Shutara continued along the pathway, her robes billowing around her. "He was attempting to defile God by creating life itself – attempting to become a new god." She looked over her shoulder, past the orbs floating behind her. "Sōsuke Aizen was truly the personification of evil. However, those Quincies are even more wicked than him," She said to them.

After some minutes, Ichigo and the girls stood in the centre of a large white disk, their face contorted in confusion. "So, explain to us again what's going on?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

"What does it look like?" Pompadour replied, stopping mid-swing. Above his head, he held a giant mallet. "I'm going to hit this pressure switch with the hammer and launch you three through the sky."

"Yeah, I understand that... But why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? You three are going to my Castle, the Kirin-den. How else are you going to get there?" He prepared to swing again. "Now hold still. You move a muscle, and you could wind up dead. This is delicate stuff."

"Why should we go to your castle?!" Ichigo shouted. "I thought we were going to see the Soul King!"

"You _will_ meet with him… it's just not the right time."

He was struck across the back of the head. Falling forwards, his face slammed into the ground and he let out a loud cry of pain.

"Explain it properly, you idiot!" Kirio Hikifune shouted, as the man with Pompadour attempted to shakily lift his head from the floor.

Walking towards them, the rotund woman took the orange-haired youth tenderly by the stump of his left wrist. Leading him from the platform while the girls followed him, she indicated the floating disks in the sky and began to explain. "On those trays in the sky are the quarters of the members of the Royal Guard," Kirio said, her plump face never breaking from her smile. "Our individual castles. And that object floating in the middle is the Greater Palace; where the Soul King resides. Where we are now is called the Vestibule Road. First, we have to make to even better than you are currently, and only then you will visit him."

"So, will you be able to do that?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, there are limits, but we can build you up and make you stronger."

"Hey! You done over there?" Pompadour shouted, having finally recovered from the strike. "We need to get this show on the road!"

 **"Okay, okay!"** Altria called out, throwing her arms up in the air as they began walking back to the platform. **"So, where are we supposed to stand aga-?!"**

The second their feet touched the disk, Pompadour swung the mallet down and struck the pressure switch. The new Head Captain and his Lieutenants were launched through the air, screaming as they went.

* * *

Artoria and Altria watched with red faces as Ichigo Kurosaki sat in the middle of a hot spring. The wet towel on his head clung to his skin as, in spite of the water, he was sweating. Steam rose up in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision. Hot water lapped around his shoulders. Beside them were two members of Pompadour's Squad.

Besides the youth, the man with the pompadour lounged lazily.

Above him, pouring from the tops of rocks and numerous bamboo pipes, boiling water splashed into the spring. The sound of the water cascading down and the bamboo clacking against the rocks reverberated inside Ichigo's head.

"Why am I here? I thought I was supposed to prepare to meet Soul King," the new Head Captain asked.

"You _are_ being prepared to meet him." As he said this, a tuft of bright red hair bobbed up out of the water beside him. Noting it, he looked down and gripped it before pulling it out of the water, like a turnip from fresh earth. Renji's bandaged face emerged from the spring.

"Huh..." Pompadour muttered. "You weren't supposed to pop up like that."

Ichigo and the girls stared, dumbfounded, as Renji's head was forced beneath the water once again. **"What are you doing?! Isn't it dangerous for him to be underwater like that?! And when did he even get here?!"** Altria asked.

"Don't worry, it is perfectly safe..." The man muttered, continuing to hold down on Renji's head as bubbled floated to the surface of the water. "This is my super special, secret healing technique. Didn't you ever take a dip in the hot spring inside Urahara's and Yoruichi's playground?" He turned towards Ichigo and broke into a grin. "He was able to make that after analysing the properties of my special hot spring water.

"Even if you currently don't have any injuries, you will be healthier than you were before. Just leave it all in the good hands of Tenjirōu Kirinji, the Demon of the Hot Springs."

* * *

 **Central 46**

Shunsui Kyōraku stood in the middle of the Central 46's chamber. His usual hat was removed, as was his trademark flowery kimono.

The various members of Central 46 present were all screaming with rage.

"A _Substitute_ Shinigami as Head Captain and Zanpakutō spirit as a Lieutenant?! Moreover, two Lieutenants?!" One of them shouted. "Do you even realize how _ridiculous_ this is!"

"One Captain! One Lieutenant!" Another screamed. "That is the way we have always done things!"

"And how well has that been working out for you?" Kyōraku asked; his voice flat.

"You impudent-!"

"Ichigo Kurosaki's powers can't be denied; furthermore, he has the protection of Soul King himself. Do you want to go against him?" He explained sharply, cutting off the bureaucrat. "And his Zanpakutōs, Artoria and Altria, are his perfect partners."

"Even if he has the protection of his Majesty, he cannot just do as he likes!"

"Every Captain has the right to appoint and dismiss their own Lieutenant as they wish. _You_ were the ones who decided this."

The Central 46 stewed in quiet outrage as he spoke.

"Now, can I continue?" Kyōraku asked, peering from the corner of his eye at the congregation. A smile plucked his lips. "Good. Captain Ichigo's first official movement as the Head Captain... Is to teach Kenpachi Zaraki the way of the sword."

All of the gathered men immediately locked up. Sweat gripped their faces and their voices caught in their throats.

Finally, one managed to speak up. "I-Is… he insane?!"

"The Head Captain has departed for the Royal Palace, but there is no guarantee he will return in time," Kyōraku explained. "We cannot rely on him for everything. We need a combative force capable of holding off the Quincy forces. Captain Zaraki's battle power is extremely important, and at this current time, he is not strong enough."

"We absolutely cannot allow this!" One of the Central 46 screamed. "What if he becomes too powerful and starts a revolt?! Have you considered that?!"

"Who is going to keep him under control?!"

"Have you forgotten Genryūsai stopped his instruction after only one day?!"

"Then what do you propose we do?" Kyōraku asked, his face stoic and unmoving. "As it stands, we will not survive another attack. Do you think you'll be able to protect yourselves? Because if so, I am certain Head Captain Ichigo would recruit you all into the frontlines."

The men collectively bit their tongues.

"That's what I thought," Kyōraku muttered. "I'm glad I've managed to gain your consent." He looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the room, before calling out. "You can come out now! I'll be leaving Captain Zaraki to you."

Stepping from the shadows, Captain Retsu Unohana revealed herself. Her expression was sombre and threatening.

"His instruction will be at your discursion," Kyōraku said, eyeing her. "Captain Unohana... no," he corrected himself, " _Yachiru Unohana,_ the first Kenpachi."

* * *

 **Royal Palace**

Ichigo was still in the hot spring, when Tenjirōu struck out so fast he momentarily disappeared. He tried to punch Ichigo, but he was able to dodge it.

The boy shot him a look filled with rage. "Why did you try to hit me?!"

"You are done here. The you from before wouldn't have been able to dodge it that fast," Tenjirōu said.

 **"He is right. Your reaction speed was far better than it was before,"** Artoria said.

"We can skip the formalities, and you three can make your way to the next castle," Tenjirōu continued.

Ichigo paused for a second, confused. However, before he was able to ask what the man had meant by the 'next Castle', he was cut off by a brash voice shouting over at them.

"Hey! Don't think you can leave me behind!"

Renji stood in the middle of a hot spring next to the one where Ichigo and Tenjirōu had previously occupied. The entire top half of his body had been bandaged, leaving only his hands and face exposed. His crimson hair clung to his soaking body and bandages.

 **"Renji? You are still wounded. You need to stay here,"** Artoria said.

 **"She is right. You will only cut your life short if you push yourself,"** Altria said.

Before Renji could respond to them, Tenjirōu vanished. Appearing in front of the Lieutenant, he punched him in the gut. Water flew into the air and cascaded down in a great wave. However, immediately, the Zero Squad member opened his eyes wide in surprise. Renji still stood in front of him, grinning.

"How 'bout that?!" He chuckled. " I wasn't able to block it, but I wasn't sent flying either."

Glancing down, Tenjirōu noted Renji's fist trembling. He appeared as if he was going to protest to him leaving.

"Fine." He sighed. "If you can withstand my punch, I'm not in a position to stop you." He began to walk towards the edge of the hot springs and beckoned them to follow him. "Come with me, all of you. I'll get you guys on your way to Kirio's place."

"So, how are we going to get there?" Ichigo asked, stopping just behind where Tenjirōu had. As they walked, he and Renji pulled on their discarded Shihakushos.

Kazuo and Kazuhiro swung a pair of giant mallets down onto a pressure switch. Flung through the air, the group were launched from a pair of hidden platforms.

 **"Is this the only way you get around here?!"** Altria screamed as they tumbled through the sky, before disappearing into a speck.

"To think those two were able to stay submerged in the water for so long... And without protective clothing, at that," one of Tenjirōu's underlings said.

"Yeah, they really are something..." Tenjirōu said, examining his hand under the water. "Especially Ichigo Kurosaki." He squinted his eyes as he noticed the appendage beginning to turn red and swell. "I was always known as Flash-Speed Tenjirōu, because of how fast I was... Yet in the instant I tried to punch him, he dodged and punched back. He even managed to break every bone in my hand."

Kazuo took a deep breath in surprise.

"I can see why the Soul King is so interested in him..."

* * *

"What are you trying to pull?!"

"What does it look like?! Get you on the bottom! I don't want to land first and hurt myself!"

"Too bad! I was injured worst; you should be on the bottom and take the hit!"

Ichigo and Renji, in their argument, failed to notice the fast-approaching platform beneath them. While in the process of falling to switch positions, they both collided with the stone structure together, side by side, as the girls landed on top of them.

Crumpled in a heap, the pair let out similarly pained whimpers. "Owwww..."

Unsteadily rising to their feet, they touched their bruised bodies gingerly, trembling. After falling from such a great height, any normal person would have been killed. It was lucky they were so sturdy. They hadn't even stood up straight when they were suddenly scooped up into a crushing embrace and all air was squeezed out of their lungs.

"Welcome to the Gaton Palace!" Kirio Hikifune exclaimed, swinging them around. "Ichigo-chan! Renji-chan! Artoria-chan and Altria-chan!" Her rotund cheeks were swelling as she smiled, distorting the spiral markings on them. Dropping the boys to the floor, she placed her hands on her hips and beamed down at them. "Please follow me to the dining hall!"

Looking up at the purple-haired woman, Artoria and Altria stopped short right as they were about to shout. Their mouth's began to water and their stomachs growled. " **"F-Food?""** They asked simultaneously.

"Of course!" She exclaimed, scooping up the girls again and practically dragging them towards a large building ahead of them, as the boys followed behind.

Slapping them down at the head of a long table, she set down their chopsticks and hurried off into another room. Furious and frantic sounds of cooking blared from the room and filled their ears.

Before long, the table was filled with mountains of food. Piles of rice rose up from the plates, enormous bowls were filled to the brim with ramen and miso soup alike. Barbecue platters sizzled, and great towers of meat reached up towards the ceiling.

Calling out from the kitchen, Kirio's voice held a musical tone to it. "Gaton Palace is the kingdom of food! It is my job to feed you and your job to fill our bellies! So, enjoy! Eat all you like, and I shall cook all you want!"

The quartet didn't need to be told twice. Diving upon the dishes, they began to wolf down plateful after plateful of food. Rice was shovelled into their mouths; the meat was torn from the bone and noodles were slurped down into their stomachs whole.

 **"This is so good!"** Altria said, her mouth still full of food. **"My chopsticks won't stop!"**

 **"So delectable! So soft!"** Artoria said. **"It melts in the mouth! This is truly the most palatable food in the universe!"**

Once the table was cleared, Ichigo put down his chopsticks.

Renji glanced over at him and lifted one tattooed eyebrow. "What, you're finished already? I can still keep eating," he spoke as if he was gloating.

"I can do it as well," Ichigo said. "Though I don't think there will be enough food left." He looked at his girlfriends, who blushed a little.

"Yeah," Renji agreed. "Never once have I ever saw anyone eat this much."

 **"W-We j-just eat enough,"** Artoria said.

 **"Y-Yes, she is r-right!"** Altria agreed.

Ichigo couldn't help but let out a chuckle after seeing their adorable face.

"So… how do you feel now that you are Head Captain?" Renji asked.

"I don't feel any different… it is nothing more than a title and some responsibilities. I really hope you will still be our friend and not just go around saying, "Yes, sir!" or things like that."

"Of course I will always be your friend, you dumbass. No matter what, you will always be that same orange-headed idiot who gets around risking his life for others," Renji said.

"Hey, now you don-"

He was cut off as Kirio bowled back into the room. Her arms were laden with trays and bowls and her purple hair had been let down, bunching around her shoulders.

Ichigo and Renji almost fell off of their chairs in surprise. It wasn't due to her sudden appearance, however, but rather… _her appearance_. Previously, she had been so fat and round that her body had a literal symmetrical radius. Now, however, she was slim. Her waist pinched in beneath her large breasts and her hips flared out softly, giving her an hourglass figure. Her face, no longer distorted by flab, was trim with his cheekbones and full lips.

Renji felt the beginnings of a nosebleed.

She put all the food on the table. "Eat as much as you want!"

They all ignored the food, instead choosing to throw a fit. " **"""Who the hell are you?!""""**

"Oh, I see I forgot to tell you," Kirio chuckled, holding her hand up in front of her mouth. "When I cook, I use up all of my body's energy. So, I need to put on as much weight as possible before, or else I could die!"

Sat in a state of stupor, they all attempted to wrap their head around it all.

"Now, _eat_ ," she beamed, her eyes brimming with pride. "I put everything into preparing this meal. It's my pride and joy! This food holds the very essence of why I became a member of the Royal Guard!"

"And why is that?" Renji asked, unsteadily claiming back into his chair and attempting to look casual. Blood was still dripping from his nose, and he was blushing.

"The artificial soul," Kirio replied, smiling broadly. "In the Royal Guard, each of us was appointed to the Division because we created something of great importance to the history of the Soul Society. My invention was the artificial soul, and from it birthed the Gikongan and the Kaizokonpaku." She picked up a bread roll and turned it over in her hands. "They work through the essence of inserting foreign souls into others. I've done the same with this food; inserting foreign Reiatsu into them to give you the boost you need." She continued to smile. "If you take the time to notice, you'll realise you're made up of entirely different Reiatsu to what you had before."

The four of them suddenly noticed the change within themselves. They could feel power welling up inside their bodies.

"You're going to need it. Especially you, Renji, for when you arrive at the next Castle..." Kirio suddenly said, sombre. "Even I'm not sure what he's going to do. Ohetsu Nimaya of the Houou Palace... The man who created the Zanpakutō."

After eating their fill, the four of them were, again, falling through the sky. Tumbling and fighting with each other, they had been screaming ever since they had been launched from Kirio's dining hall. They landed with a crash, though they remained in better condition than they had done before. Rising to their feet, they stared around the wooden platform on which they had arrived.

There was no one in sight.

 **"Where is everyone?"** Altria asked, looking around himself.

"Not a clue," Renji muttered in response. "Maybe everyone is inside the castle..."

 **"Yo! Yo! Yo! Yo!"** A voice suddenly blared, enthusiastically, from some kind of sound system. **"Welcome, welcome, one and all! Welcome to the** **Hōōden** **-den! The magnificent abode ooooooof~! Go, Shi, San, Ni-maya! Ohetsu!"**

* * *

 ** _Next Time: Hidden Past and Hidden Truth_**

 ** _See you all in the next chapter_**


	13. Hidden Past and Hidden Truth

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester: ekaterina016_**

* * *

 **Recap:** _After eating their fill, the four of them were, again, falling through the sky. Tumbling and fighting with each other, they had been screaming ever since they had been launched from Kirio's dining hall. They landed with a crash, though they remained in better condition than they had done before. Rising to their feet, they stared around the wooden platform on which they had arrived._

 _There was no one in sight._

 ** _"Where is everyone?"_** _Altria asked, looking around himself._

 _"Not a clue," Renji muttered in response. "Maybe everyone is inside the castle..."_

 ** _"Yo! Yo! Yo! Yo!"_** _A voice suddenly blared, enthusiastically, from some kind of sound system. **"Welcome, welcome, one and all! Welcome to the** **Hōōden**_ ** _! The magnificent abode ooooooof~! Go, Shi, San, Ni-maiya! Ōetsu!"_ **

* * *

**_Chapter 13: Hidden Past and Hidden Truth_ **

* * *

Muken.

The lowest level of the central underground prison of the Seireitei. A vast and expansive plane of barren earth, located hundreds upon hundreds of feet beneath Squad One's barracks.

A horrible environment reserved only for the worst of the worst criminals.

Kenpachi Zaraki walked through the entrance; the heavy steel doors slamming behind him, closing off the darkness. His eyepatch was already removed and his sword was slung over his shoulder, the chipped blade reflecting a deformed visage of his face. His mouth was twisted into a psychotic grin.

"Ha!" He laughed, looking around himself. "What a showy battlefield. How'd you manage to swing this?"

"It was an order from the new Head Captain," his opponent replied softly. "It wasn't that difficult." An eerily calm chuckle filled the air. "As the name indicates, this area is entirely closed off. It's almost infinitely vast and barren. It's a perfect field for you to freely swing your sword."

Yachiru Unohana turned towards Kenpachi. Her eyes were hooded and filled with sadistic malice. "That is the only reason we were permitted to enter here," she continued. "Usually, such a pleasure is only reserved for the most heinous of criminals."

"Criminals, huh...?" Kenpachi grunted, beginning to walk forwards. "Then we should feel right at home... 'Cause if it wasn't for our strength, we would be nothing more than that!"

"Of course," Unohana said, her voice soft and chilling. "That is why I was the one who suggested this place."

"That's what I figured," Kenpachi said, grinning. Removing his sword from his shoulder, he held it at arm's length. He glanced around the Muken one final time. "I like it. I win and I'm a Captain; I lose and I'm a criminal. Either way... fighting you is going to be like my own little piece of heaven and hell."

"You're awfully talkative today," Unohana replied, smiling sweetly. "I prefer it when you're quiet." Untying the braid which adorned the front of her body, the Captain of Division Four allowed her hair to flow freely, revealing a horrific stab wound in the centre of her chest. "Whenever you talk, it makes this old wound sting."

Kenpachi reached up and stroked the scar running down the left side of his face, grinning wildly. "Don't think you're the only one with an old wound aching."

Both of them smiled and lunged at each other.

Their blades clashed in a blaze of sparks. Metal grated against metal as they ground their swords against one another. Beneath their feet, rocks cracked from the force of the strikes.

Kenpachi forced his own sword forwards. Unohana's feet tore deep trenches through the ground as she held her tight defence. The towering brute of a man continued his advance, almost running as he pushed her backward. Suddenly flicking her own sword to the side, Unohana ducked under Kenpachi's blade. Slashing out, metal bit through the battle-crazed man's side. Blood splattered to the floor.

Kenpachi attempted another downward swing. Unohana's left hand came up to meet the swipe, slapping the wrist of his sword arm away. Turning to the side, she swung her sword sideways, aiming at his throat. He barely dodged. Crimson blood jetted through the air, tracing the arc of Unohaha's sword swing. He had been nicked along the edge of his neck. It wasn't a deep wound, but the location of the cut meant profuse bleeding was certain.

Kenpachi Zaraki was being beaten back. He hadn't so much as scratched the woman, and yet she continued to persistently exploit every opening he presented, no matter how small.

It was exactly the kind of battle he had always searched out. Always strived for.

And yet...

 _'Why?'_

Kenpachi gritted his teeth and leaped back, narrowly avoiding another strike to his face.

Something seemed missing.

 _'Why is this...?'_

He struck back and found his blade blocked. Unohana forced him back and slashed him up to his left side.

Kenpachi felt like a piece of himself was missing. Something he'd misplaced long ago… he finally realized _gone_. A strange ache filled his chest.

 _'Why is this not...?'_

He knew without that missing piece; he would never be able to find it. The real thing which he had been searching for all of these years. He would never be able to find something-

 _'Fun...?'_

* * *

 **Royal Palace**

 **"Go, Shi, San, Ni-maiya Ōetsu is in the houuuuse~!"**

Floodlights flashed on, momentarily blinding Ichigo, Renji, and the girls. Music began to blare from numerous speakers, fireworks shot into the air and exploded into sparks of rainbow colours, smoke poured from generators and flooded the area.

Rising from a mechanical platform… was a man. His skin was tanned and his head was adorned with a black afro. The sides of his scalp were shaved short and dyed green. Perched on his face were a pair of blue and gold sunglasses. In his hand, he held a microphone.

 **"I am number one Zanpakutō** **creator! It is so coooool! Sonofabitch!"** He spoke in English, and his accent was terrible.

Ichigo and the girls' faces once more fell into the expression of complete and utter dismay it had become so used to during their time in the Royal Palace – especially for the girls, being Welsh. Beside them, Renji pulled a similar expression.

The man continued to fling himself around ostentatiously, and shouted in English. **"Nice! To! Meet you!"** He held two fingers up to his lips and blew a kiss. **"Zanpakut** **ō** **!"** He winked. **"Love it!"**

The bright neon sign threw coloured light down upon the ground. Flashing lights around it banished shadows at periodic intervals.

"Welcome to the Phoenix Palace!"

A harem of girls so huge it defied reason welcomed the trio of men and female twins. Blondes, brunettes, red-heads, and girls with black hair all fell upon them. Busts of all sizes were shoved into their faces.

"Kyaaah! You must be Renji!"

"Oh my, you're so attractive!"

"Which one is Ichigo, again?"

Renji felt himself begin to tear up. Ichigo recoiled; his shyness around scantily-clad women showing through, as well as his conflict due to his devotion to his girlfriends. "P-Please behave yourselves! I already am in a relationship, so please keep yourselves at some distance from me!" Ichigo said, still blushing from the hugs.

Meanwhile, Artoria and Altria got in front of him and glared at the girls who hugged him.

"So, how'd ya' like it here?" Ōetsu Nimaiya asked, turning towards the two young men and the twins. "Ya'll appreciating the welcome I've prepared for ya' here at the Hōōden?"

He raised his hand into the air for a high-five. When Ichigo failed to respond, choosing to stare at him blankly instead, Nimaiya grasped his remaining hand and engaged in a furious series of slaps and fist-bumps with it.

"This is an… _interesting_ place," Ichigo managed to say between the hand slaps and fist bumps.

"I knew ya'll get it, Ichigo-chan," Nimaiya said, smiling, and then turned towards Renji and began the same game of hand slaps and fist bumps. "What about ya', Renji-chan?"

"I am not really sure," Renji said nervously.

"Do you not like it?" Nimaiya asked, tilting his head to the side. "If not... I can just send you home?"

The four of them suddenly locked up. Kirio had warned them Nimaiya was unpredictable, but threatening to throw him from the Royal Palace already was ridiculous.

"Please let me stay!" Thinking fast, he bowed down with as much respect as he could muster.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Nimaiya shouted, wagging his finger at them. "You're not doing it properly! The style of the Hōōden is..." He leaned down on his forearms and swung his legs up into the air, in a kind of quasi-handstand. "This! And then you say: "Thank you, Master Nimaiya!""

The four of them, again, looked completely dumbfounded.

 ** _"This is just complete nonsense,"_** Artoria said through their mental connection.

 ** _"I agree,"_** Altria mimicked.

 _"Even Renji can never bring himself to do that,"_ Ichigo said, but was proved wrong when Renji, seeing no other option did exactly as he was told, made a complete fool of himself.

"Thank you, Master Nimaiya!" He said, mimicking the stupid move.

Nimaiya pulled out a camera and snapped a picture of his. "Nice! I didn't think you would actually do that!" He whirled around to the congregation of girls. "Look at this, my honey-chan's!"

"Haha! So cuuuute!"

"That's so LOL!" Another of them squealed in delight.

Ichigo and twins looked at the redhead in pity, as the latter's mood darkened. Renji grabbed Nimaiya by the collar of the puffy white coat he wore. "What do you think you're playing at?!"

As Nimaiya was about to reply, he was kicked in the back and sent flying through the air by a short young woman with spiky hair.

"How long do you plan on keeping this up?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and admonishing Nimaiya.

"Come ooooon, Mera-chaaaan!" He whined, lifting himself from the floor and rubbing his head. "This is the first time I've been able to have fun in ages!"

Ignoring his protests, the girl walked forwards and grasped Ichigo and Renji by the backs of their Shihakusho. Dragging them from the harem, as the twins followed, she groaned under her breath. "With you handling things, we'll never get anything done. I'll show you guys the real Hōōden..."

Before long, they had left the glowing ball of neon behind. Where they now found themselves was a bare and barren cliff, a single shack standing solitary on its edge. Above the shack was a sign which read 'Hōōden'.

Altria threw a glance at Nimaiya, who had been following them dejectedly. **"The difference between this and that place is like the Royal Castle and a dog house."**

"Ya' don't have to rub it in..." Nimaiya pouted, pretending to weep behind his sunglasses and shielding his face with his forearm. "That's why I act all-flash. To cover the fact this is my real castle."

Pulling their clothes aside, Mera gestured for Renji to enter, but stopped Ichigo and twins with a hand on his chest. "Not you; blondies and orange."

"Why only Renji?" Ichigo asked.

-THUD!

Hearing someone fall, the trio looked down into the dark cavern Renji had fell into.

"What the hell?!" Renji shouted up, anger venting towards Nimaiya and Mera.

Nimaiya ignored them. "Renji-chan... Why is it that ya' haven't noticed? Till now, ya' haven't met a single Shinigami, 'sides myself?" He broke into a wide grin. "Those honey-chans back there... were Zanpakutōs."

"Those were..." Renji gasped.

Ichigo was also surprised, but not for the exact same reason. "Renji! Did you really not realize it?!"

"N-No… I didn't," he replied hesitantly.

"And this is the difference between you two. Putting Ichigo-chan aside, ya' call ya'-self Shinigami, but ya' can't even tell the difference between them and Zanpakutō?" He reached behind himself and grasped the hilt of a blade. Lifting it into the light, he was revealed to be holding Renji's shattered Zabimaru in Shikai.

"W-When did you get it?" Renji asked shocked again.

"He had it the very moment we came, Renji," Ichigo answered. "How could you not notice it?" He asked once again, horrified at the weak bond between his friend and his Zanpakutō. To be so close to each other, practically at his side all this time, and he did not notice it at all?

"He simply can't, Ichigo-chan. He's got no love for it, man! So if he doesn't love it... S'okay if I do this, right?"

Without hesitation, the Royal Guard member smashed the broken blade into the wall, shattering it even more completely.

Renji's eyes snapped wide, and he roared out in horror and dismay, "What the hell are you doing?! Are you insane?!"

"Tut'a'tut'a'tut!" Nimaiya shook musically. "Zanpakutō which ain't loved sure break easy... If ya' survive down there, I may reforge ya' swords... But my Zanpakutō ain't for a weakling. And down there, the wrath of the Zanpakutō are all around ya." He winked and blew a kiss down at the pair. "Have fuuuuuun~!"

With that said, all the physical manifestation of all the blank Asauchis jumped at Renji.

 **"He's getting his butt kicked down there,"** Altria said, after watching Renji try to dodge and outmanoeuvre these featureless creatures.

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Ichigo asked, concerned for the red-headed Shinigami.

"It's totally necessary; that bro down there _has_ to go through this."

Nimaiya took the craft of Zanpakutōs very seriously, it seemed.

 **"It is necessary, Ichigo, as Zanpakutōs, Altria and I can understand what he means and why he did that,"** Artoria agreed.

"I see… so do I have to go after he is finished?" Ichigo wondered.

"Nope, you and your Zanpakutōs are pretty tight, yo!" The man said, crossing his fingers to illustrate. "Mera-chan, take Artoria-chan and Altria-chan for sightseeing or something, will ya'? Meanwhile… come on, Ichigo-chan! Let's have a little chit-chat, my main man, while our red-headed brother does his thing."

Nimaiya smiled and held his hands out wordlessly, once the girls had left them alone, asking to see his Zanpakutōs' weapon forms. Ichigo was a bit hesitant, but handed them to him, curiously wondering what he wanted to look at. The man unsheathed them, examining the sealed black and white blades, eyes roaming the blades – from the tip to the hilt, and even the scabbards. "You're cool, Ichigo-chan! You're one of the few who gets a Zanpakutō is a reflection of your soul – one and the same, not one above and below. Been a long time since I've seen one of my masterpieces."

"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo questioned, confused.

"These beauties… I remember them well," he said, running his fingers along the blades. "These are the first and only Zanpakutōs I was commissioned to make, instead of the client leaving everything to me." If it was physically possible, Ichigo's jaw would have hit the floor. "Well, it wasn't just me; all of us Squad Zero Members had a hand in making them."

"W-What!?"

"Yeah, I made the sword… well, part of them. Kirinji made the special quenching fluid when they were done forging. Kirio created the sheaths, my girl Shutara created the handles, and the monk was the one to named them," he listed off all the contributions from each of them.

There were so many questions Ichigo wanted to ask at that moment, but the most troubling one on his mind came out first. "Who? Who commissioned Excalibur and Morgan to be made?"

A long uncomfortable silence followed his question, until Nimaiya finally spoke, "I don't think I should be the one to tell you, man. The monk should be the one." Ichigo was silenced by that, clearly respecting that man's gravitas, if not his true nature. "Plus, he could slap you silly if you go crazy when you find out. The monk's not the strongest of us for nothing."

"Then please send me to his palace, now!" Ichigo requested, standing up straight as Nimaiya returned him his Zanpakutōs.

"Actually, next, you're supposed to go to Shutara's crib, yo!" Nimaiya began sweating with all the Reiatsu pouring off the young man. Such a powerful energy from someone who's never even been to the Royal Palace before was quite surprising. "Get a hold of your emotions, man! No need to try and strangle me with all this Reiatsu," he chuckled nervously.

"I apologize. It was… just too much information." Ichigo bowed.

"No need to worry Ichigo-chan, I know how much they mean to you," Nimaiya said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

Sometime later, Mera returned with the twins, as Nimaiya led them to the catapult and launched them all the way to Ichibē's domain. When he arrived, he noticed the Reishi concentration in the atmosphere was so high it felt like being underwater: hard to breathe and hard to move. At the very least, until Ichigo released the tight hold he had on his Reiatsu in shock and cancelled the effects out.

* * *

"You're here earlier than I expected."

Ichigo and the girls looked up at the voice to see the same bearded man from the other day, sitting on the steps of what looked like a Buddhist temple. "You're also moving easily in the air here, which is to be expected."

None of them responded; instead, Ichigo drew his Zanpakutōs, asking, "You remember these blades right?"

"Of course, and I'm sure you're dying to know who ordered us to make them," Ichibē said joyfully. "Those swords were commissioned and made specifically for you – the very first Zanpakutōs to be ever created. If Yamamoto's Zanpakutōs Ryūjin Jakka was the strongest fire Zanpakutō, and Hitsugaya's Hiyorimaru is the strongest ice Zanpakutō… then your Excalibur and Morgan are the most powerful and strongest Zanpakutōs in existence, whether to be in past, present… or future. You also know they're commissioned for you yourself."

"You're right; I already know they were made for me, but tell me: who asked you all to make Excalibur and Morgan? Who wanted me to have them?" Ichigo was tired of beating around the bush; he wanted answers now about his lovers.

The monk just smiled nice and wide. "The one and only Soul King, of course."

Ichigo's eyes widened. Of all the things he could have been told, that was the last thing he expected.

While all this conversation was happening, the girls just stood silent at Ichigo's side.

"Now that you know this, what will you do?" Ichibē asked.

"Why?" Ichigo said, without missing a beat.

"'Why', what?" The monk asked.

"Why _me_? Why was I given Excalibur and Morgan?" Ichigo asked.

"Even I'm not completely sure why you were chosen."

"Alright," Ichigo sighed. "I guess there's only one person who will have all the answers." He began walking towards the edge of Ichibē's palace.

 **"Ichigo, are you sure about this?"** Altria asked.

"I am."

 **"Think this through before acting,"** Artoria suggested.

"I have thought this through just now."

 **"If that is your decision,"** Artoria said, as they followed him, clearly not eager to do so on their own accord themselves.

"Where are you three going?" The monk asked with a small smile on his face, as if he already knew the answer – which was more like his default expression nowadays.

"The Soul King is in that big cocoon-shaped building right?"

The monk nodded his head, following Ichigo to the edge of his domain. He knew they couldn't get there without his help, but the young man would just have to be patient and wait. He was about to tell Ichigo he wouldn't be able to get there yet, but he paused when he noticed Ichigo popping his neck and shoulders, giving his knees a good stretch as he faced the direction of the Soul King's castle. Was he really going to try and _jump_?

"This is going to be a really big Shunpō!"

Before he could stop them, Ichigo and the girls had already vanished in a flash, leaving only cracked and shattered ground in their wake.

"I guess I underestimated him," Ichibē just shrugged and went back to waiting for the others to show up.

* * *

"That was _way_ too close," Ichigo said, hanging on to the edge of the lowest level of the Soul King's palace, but Artoria and Altria had made it more comfortably somehow, standing on the floor. The former pulled him up, as he needed invisible Air's sudden boost just to cling on, glancing around seeing the five disk-shaped palaces of Squad Zero.

 **"Nice view he has here,"** Altria commented, enjoying the view.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Excalibur, and Morgan," a voice spoke behind them. They turned around to see a bald man in white robes, wearing a black visor over his eyes.

"Yes?" They figured this must be a servant of some kind.

"If you all would come this way, His Highness is expecting you," the servant said, gesturing for him to follow.

Ichigo remained silent in confusion, his decision to come here was just a spur of the moment. _'How did the Soul King know I would be here?'_

Artoria broke him of his thoughts by being the first to actually walk behind the servant. They walked up many steps, going up one level of this large palace at a time. Ichigo tried to ask questions to pass the time, but the servant remained silent, so they reverted into silence as well. They eventually arrived at the topmost level, where the servant couldn't go on and allowed them to go inside. Walking pass the pillars, they frowned seeing a curtain over whom he assumed was the king.

Standing before it, Ichigo moved the curtain aside.

 **"Is this the Soul King…?"** Altria asked, looking at the strange sight of a naked limbless man, encased in a solid transparent substance, suspended from the ceiling.

"He does resemble the shadow which we saw," Ichigo said.

 **"I believe he is,"** Artoria said.

" **Yes, I am the Soul King,"** a new voice confirmed from everywhere.

They looked around, and then back at the king, whose eyes were now open, revealing strange black eyes containing four irises.

"Was that you?" Ichigo asked.

" **Yes. As you all can see, I can't speak with normal means, but I can project my words into your minds,"** the Soul King explained. **"I know you have many questions. Ask, and I will answer with complete honesty. You deserve it."**

Ichigo nodded. "Very well. Why did you order them to make Excalibur and Morgan for me?" He asked, waving at Artoria and Altria.

 **"We would like to know about ourselves,"** Artoria said, as her twin nodded in agreement.

" **The answer is to reach his full potential,"** the king said simply.

"Full potential?" Ichigo asked confused.

" **That, and curiosity… I wanted to see what someone like you could do."** The king sounded like he was talking about a simple experiment. **"To what limits; but to do that, you were in need of them as well…** "

"Ichibē and Nimaiya said they were the very first Zanpakutō to ever be created, but it was probably millennia ago, so how can that be when I was born only 17 years ago?"

 **"I have to agree. We were supposed to be born the same moment he was born, so how is that possible?"** Altria asked.

 **"The answer is obvious. What my guards created was the 'harnesser',"** the Soul King answered.

"Harnesser?" Ichigo asked.

 **"Yes, it's true the three of you were born together, but what they created was swords as a way to harness the powers inside of you. Due to your unique heritage, an ordinary Zanpakutō would never be able to fully bond with you, so I have them ordered to create a special and one-of-a-kind Zanpakutōs,"** the Soul King explained.

 **"I have to ask… we are our own person, right? We aren't just some persona created by the seals when you put it in him? We would have been like this, even without your interference, right?"** Artoria asked, as she and Altria looked at him.

 **"You are right. Even if I have didn't put up the seals, both of you would have been like this, along with your personality. The only thing I did was to limit your powers and give you the swords to harness the power, and even if I had not given you the Asauchis, you would have gained the same strength in roughly the same time. Even your names: 'Excalibur', 'Morgan', 'Rhongomyniad'… you two will still have the same names even with different Asauchis. You need not worry about that. The feelings you have for others and for him are truly your own."**

As they heard those words, relief washed over them, and they let out the breaths they were unconsciously holding.

"But how can you know about me being born like this, as I was born only seventeen years ago, and you had ordered them to create…" Suddenly, realization dawned upon him. "You can see the future, can't you?"

 **"You are right. I, along with my son, can see the future. That is why I knew about you and when to replace the Asauchis in Urahara Kisuke's storehouse when he ordered Tessai to bring you their own."**

"Your son?" Ichigo asked.

The Soul King then went on to tell his story, and the real history of the Quincy.

* * *

 **Soul Society**

 _'Again...?'_ Kenpachi rolled across the floor, tearing the skin off of the back of his arm. Righting himself, he raised his head and his sword in one simultaneous motion. _'I lost consciousness again? How many times has it been now?'_

He slashed out at Unohana, prompting her to back off. _'Again and again. I pass out in the middle of battle, and when I come to I'm back swinging my sword...'_

Unohana charged him. Steel grated together as she flicked her wrist out and nicked Kenpachi across the arm. His reaction time was getting progressively faster.

 _'It's nostalgic... I love fighting, but I've never been so into it that I've passed out...'_ He stared into Unohana's eyes as they clashed. A subtle smile plucked the corner of his lips. _'Not since the first time I fought you.'_

Kenpachi tilted his blade sideways, sending Unohana's sword wide once again. Reversing his swing, he cut her across the arm. Red blood soaked into her white Captain's Haori.

 _'I got her! Before I was reacting to what I could see... But now I'm reacting reflexively.'_

Unohana stepped back as a smile of relief washed over her face. Her eyes softened, a strange light in them.

 _'Every time I blackout, it's like I'm reborn!'_

Unohana thought back to the first time she had met the nameless boy who would become Kenpachi Zaraki. Until that point, she had never found anyone who was truly her equal. Someone who could truly challenge her. She imagined that boy had felt the same. The euphoria she had felt in that fight was like nothing she could have ever imagined. To finally find an equal among the fodder which surrounded her.

And yet... she had felt shame. Because, in spite of finding a worthy opponent, he had shackled his true power.

Unohana had been strong… _but that boy had been stronger._

Over time, she had seen him grow stronger. Every time he was pushed to the brink of defeat, he would regain that which he had lost. A fraction of his true unfathomable power.

 _'That is why I shall slay you hundreds- no, thousands of times over. That I why I shall keep on reviving you; healing you from the brink of death. Until you return to your true self.'_

As she thought, she continued to carve away at Kenpachi Zaraki. Every time she saw him slip into the sweet embrace of death, she would heal him. And every time, he would come back more powerful than before.

Kenpachi Zaraki broke into a wide grin as he continued to charge Unohana.

He felt like his flesh was peeling off. Like the bare bones of his being were coming to the surface. Like he was finally transforming into what he had always been. A true demon of the sword.

Kenpachi laughed; lunacy dripping from his voice. _'Melting... It's all melting away! I feel so alive!'_

He continued to strike at the woman in front of him. For every attack he took, he dealt out one of equal power.

 _'I finally feel like I've awoken from my eternal slumber...'_ Kenpachi cut Unohana across the hip. _'Thanks to you, I finally understand... You've finally opened my eyes...'_

They locked blades once more before forcing each other back. Feet dragged across the ground, whipping up clouds of dust.

 _'You are everything I've always wanted! You are what I've been searching for this entire time!'_

Unohana continued to smile as she was cut into ribbons. Blood flew through the air. She no longer knew how to distinguish those between her own and his anymore.

She was engulfed in blissful ecstasy.

 _'Isn't it funny...?'_ She thought _. 'You purposely sealed your power away, so you could fight to your hearts content... While I learned how to heal my enemies so I could do the same. We really are... perfect for one another.'_

She loosened her grip on the hilt of her sword. _'But... It makes me sad... I realize now what must happen. During a fight between two behemoths, only two things can happen... One nurtures the other, causing them to grow... while the other consumes the first.'_

Kenpachi lunged at her one final time.

Unohana's lips broke into a soft smile. She moved her sword out of the way, just a fraction of an inch.

 _'You were...'_

Kenpachi's blade ran her through. Emerging from her back, the entire length of the steel was covered in deep crimson blood. It shimmered in the light; dancing.

Releasing her sword, Unohana reached up with her hands and cupped Kenpachi's face. "You were the only man who could ever make me happy..." Leaning up, she planted a gentle kiss onto him, with blood-smeared lips. "Now... We finally... Have closure..."

Without another word, Unohana's arms fell. They hung limply by her sides. Lifeless.

Kenpachi pulled his blade from her chest and cradled her limp form in one arm. He dropped his sword and reached up with his free hand to touch his lips.

"Closure..." He whispered, trembling. "No... Please..." Tears formed in his eyes. "I'm begging you, no... I'm begging you!" He held her tightly, shaking like a leaf caught in the breeze. "Don't die..."

As he shook and shivered, the tears in his eyes mingled with the blood which soaked his face, thinning it. The long scar than ran down his cheek came into view.

"DON'T DIE!" He roared, tightening his grip on Unohana's body.

Roused from death for a brief second, Unohana opened one eye a crack. Pride flooded her body.

 _'You need not mourn me...'_ She thought _. 'You now have many people you can call your equals... Friends to bicker with... Enemies to clash blades with... My only regret is not being able to see it.'_

She closed her eyes and let out one final sigh. _'And most importantly... I have found a blissful joy in death... Finally fulfilling what I had set in motion all those years ago... And that it was by your hand.'_

Kenpachi began to weep. He gritted his teeth and tensed every muscle in his body in an attempt to fight it back, but to no avail.

However, in that moment of despair when he lost all hope, the doors opened as the Lieutenant of Squad 4, Isane, Hanataro, along with some other members of the same squad came in, carrying a stretcher with Kyoraku.

"Please step away from her!" Isane cried out.

She and Hanataro went to Unohana's cold body. Isane then placed her right hand's palm on her chest, as it started to glow.

"Save her, you hear me! if you don't, then I will kill you!" Kenpachi roared.

"She is alive, but barely…" Isane said, concerned as she tried to hold her tears. "Place her on the stretcher quickly, and let's go back to Squad 4. We have to operate on her as soon as possible."

The member did as they were ordered.

Kyoraku looked back at the place where Unohana was laying. _'As much as I hate to admit it, if I or Ukitake would have become Head Captain, I don't think- no, I am **certain** we wouldn't have kept the Squad 4 members on position for treatment.'_

With that thought in mind, he made his way to Squad 4.… leaving Kenpachi alone in the room, sitting there on his knees, still in silence.

However, in that silence, a female voice called his name.

 **"Kenpachi Zaraki..."**

Turning his head, he attempted to place its origin, but found no one. "Show yourself!"

 **"So you are finally able to hear me..."**

"Where are you?!"

 **"I'm right here. I've always been right here... I am the one who knows you, better than anyone else."**

Suddenly coming to a realisation, Kenpachi looked down at his discarded sword.

 **"Hello, Kenpachi Zaraki,"** it said. **"It's nice to finally meet you. My name is..."**

* * *

 **Royal Palace**

 **"I certainly did not expect that… To think Quincies are even older than Shinigamis…"** Artoria muttered after hearing the tale.

"But you didn't explain about the part you having a child," Altria said.

" **I was getting to that,"** the Soul King stated. **"Of all my Chosen, every now and then, a child would be born of them, one who possessed a power similar to mine."**

"You mean the power to see the future, or something similarly powerful like that?" Ichigo clarified.

" **Yes, some of them were born with abilities like that. Unfortunately, due to their own arrogance, the Chosen culled them after birth, believing the infants were useless and incomplete." T** he Soul King sounded remorseful about this.

"But not all of them were disposed. One of them lived, right…?"

" **Indeed. About twelve hundred years ago, an infant was born. This child couldn't move, it couldn't speak, it couldn't hear, see, or function in any way. It survived by imparting pieces of it's soul on to those who touched it. While those pieces managed to heal whatever was ailing the humans, it was also stealing life, energy, experience, and information from the people it was attached to."** The king paused a moment to give Ichigo a chance to understand this story. **"Eventually, those poor foolish people would die, and the pieces of the infant's soul would return to it, making it stronger, and soon, it gained the functions and senses needed to live and interact with the world. If he ever stopped doing this, he would return to his original state. Later in his life, he figured out how to not just heal people, but bestow power on them as well, by carving a letter into their soul when he gave them a piece of his."**

"Who was this child? What happened to him?" Ichigo asked, his curiosity and anger growing.

" **You've met him recently. He's the Quincy Emperor who started a war against Soul Society,"** the voice of the king said. Ichigo was mildly surprised. **"When the infant developed the ability to hear, he heard the name 'Yhwach', the god the humans around him worshipped, and took that name for himself."**

"So he bestows his powers onto others, needing to do it to survive." Ichigo understood what this war was about. It didn't matter who won or lost – in the end, Yhwach would use the casualties to increase his own strength and lifespan. "That _thing_ is nothing but a parasite! Leeching energy off of other people!"

 **"Do any of the Quincies even know this!?"** Altria asked.

" **Do you honestly believe they would serve and worship him if they knew the truth?"** The Soul King asked. though all of them already knew the answer. **"All they know is he gives them power; they don't know their fate has been sealed the moment he carves his initials into them."**

"Those stupid idiots!" Ichigo paced the floor in a rage. "Even if I had power like that, I would never in all my life use it to gain strength the way he does! it's just despicable, selfish, greedy…"

The king interrupted his rant by speaking again, " **That's why I gave you the Asauchis. I wanted to see if you would end up the same as Yhwach… or, perhaps, you would use your power for good."**

"Even with these powers, I do not think I have done something worth your praise. Everything I did… was for my own selfish reasons." Ichigo looked away sadly. "I saved Rukia and told her I was just repaying my debt, but actually, I just didn't want the one who saved my family to die. I fought Aizen and stopped him and saved all three worlds, but in truth, I was just saving my family and friends. Then, there is Ginjo, I did nothing but killed him in cold blood with my own hands."

" **The man named Ginjo sealed his own fate when he tried to kill you; you even gave him a choice to walk away! Indeed, you think everything you did was for yourself, but even then, you have saved others. By saving Rukia, you put Hisana's soul finally at peace, and closed the distance between a brother and sister. By defeating Aizen, you saved the entire three realms and everyone in it. Even earlier, Byakuya Kuchiki was saved thanks to what you did, and you still fight for the Soul Society and Human world, even for Hueco Mundo."**

"…thank you," Ichigo said, looking away with a bit of red on his face from the praise, as the twins smiled at this.

 **"Now, the final question.** **You still haven't asked the question which weighs heaviest on your mind, Ichigo Kurosaki,"** the king spoke up.

After a short pause, Ichigo finally collected himself. "Why me?"

" **Because I saw infinite potential in you. Even with my ability to see in the future, I can't see where you will take your existence. You, who are part Shinigami, part Hollow, and part Quincy, shouldn't exist, Ichigo – yet here you stand. You're like a living miracle, an unknown variable thrown into the world, doing as you please. Completely unpredictable and one of a kind; when you were born, I couldn't see or know what you would do in the future, and that is why I put the seals on your powers: for safety. For you may turn like Aizen, but I had a feeling you would be just like what your name represents… and that feeling was right,"** he said with pride.

"So, I'm like an experiment for you. That's why you gave me those Asauchis?" To Ichigo, it almost sounded like the king acted on a whim, rather than how a true king should make decisions.

" **That was only one reason. The other reason is I wanted to someone who can put an end to the existence of Yhwach. That boy has established a connection to all Quincies in the last thousand years; as long as they exist, he'll continue to live,"** the Soul King explained, and about how all Quincies are connected to one another, but Yhwach hijacked that connection and used it for his purposes.

 **"I see… cut the leech off its food supply, and it dies."** Altria could respect that.

"I don't mind putting them down. If they're too stupid not to question why they're fighting and killing in a war, then they deserve what I am going to do with them."

" **Not even an ounce of regret? You are talking about killing a lot of humans,"** the king asked.

"No, I will not regret it. Life is probably the most beautiful thing in the world, and they are taking it like nothing in the name of a leech who thinks he is some kind of god. If that is the kind of god he is, then I will become the evil who'll stop him," Ichigo declared with no shame in his admission. "I'll become the worst evil in the human existence who will stop him, if that's what it takes to save the world."

Artoria and Altria looked at him with a gaze filled with pride and love.

 **"You are truly unique, Ichigo."** The Soul King chuckled. **"Now, I believe it is time for you to talk to your father about his and your mother's past. You know about your origin, but now, you must know how that origin came to be. Your father is now ready to tell you about his past."**

Ichigo silently nodded.

 **"But before you go, there is one more task I would request you to perform."**

"What would you like me to do?" Ichigo asked curiously, like the twins beside him.

* * *

 **30 Minutes Later…**

 **Karakura**

A portal opened as Ichigo, Artoria and Altria came out from it, along with the guard-cum-guard from before. He then handed out to Ichigo what looked like a white slip with Squad Zero's insignia on it.

"Please rip it when you are ready to come back, it will open a portal similar to this, which will take you all the way back to the Royal Palace. It is also okay if you decide to stay here today," he said.

"Thank you for bringing us here to the world of the living," Ichigo said, taking the slip.

"I was just doing my duty." The guard then bowed to them, and went back inside the portal as it closed.

As they went inside the house they saw Isshin sitting in the living room. "Get back in your body and Gigais, it's time to talk about the past," he said out of the blue, surprising them. They'd never once seen him this serious.

"So where do you want to start...?" Ichigo asked him, once everything's done.

"I guess I should start at the beginning," Isshin replied. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I am... or rather, _was_ Isshin Shiba, the previous head of the Shiba family."

Ichigo pulled a dumbfounded face. "So Kūkaku and Ganju are-?"

"My niece and nephew, yes," Isshin said, cutting his son off.

The orange-haired boy and blond-headed girls permitted themselves a brief moment of digest to the idea he was related to Ganju… or rather, Kūkaku.

"I was the Captain of Squad 10. Rangiku Matsumoto was my second, and Toshiro Hitsugaya was my third seat. There was an incident in Karakura City. Shinigamis were vanishing in droves, and so I... I disobeyed an order from the Head Captain and went to investigate it on my own."

None of them said anything. They simply listened to Isshin's telling of the story.

"When I arrived in the city, I was attacked," Isshin continued. "This thing... It looked like a Hollow, but it was stronger... Much, _much_ stronger."

* * *

 _Isshin leaped between buildings, in an attempt to dodge the creature's repeated attacks. It was ridiculously fast._

 _The creature was definitely a Hollow, but it's body looked female, with a modest bust and long pale blond hair. She had yellow eyes. Her head was that of a dragon, and her limbs looked like sharp blades with spikes, instead of humanoid ones._

 _When he arrived, the creature had blindsided him._

 _Isshin gritted his teeth._ 'With a wound like this, I won't be able to use my Bankai... Shit...'

 _He ducked sideways, narrowly avoiding a strike from her bladed forearms. A cut opened up across his cheek. Retaliating, Isshin launched a white beam from his Zanpakuto up at his assailant, having released Arondight long ago._

 _The strange Hollow leaped back to dodge._

'Come on, you slippery bitch! Just stay still!'

 _All around him, the rain cascaded down, the droplets forming a thick swarm. Isshin's feet rippled through the water drowning the street._

 _Just as Isshin was about to fire a beam at the Hollow, he felt a blow against his back. It had not come from the Hollow-like creature. He fell from the sky and landed atop a building._

'That was a Zanpakuto... So that's it. There's a traitor who's been controlling this thing!'

 _"Show yourself!" He shouted into thin air. "Where are you hiding?!"_

 _Isshin didn't get a chance to continue his search. Falling upon him, the Hollow clashed against Arondight yet again, cracking the concrete beneath his back. Dust flew up into the air and around the Captain's body._

 _Forcing his adversary back, Isshin pulled himself to his feet and jumped into the air. He put what he could on the sword and fired another white beam at her, as a monstrous explosion ripped through the sky. The Hollow's right arm was torn from her body by the blast, and shot down onto the street below._

 _Minus an arm, she still continued to charge at Isshin. Once more, his back felt concrete buckle and cave underneath it, as he was slammed into the top of a building. He was so focussed on blocking her arm, he realized too late she was charging a Cero right in front of his face._

'Shit...!'

 _Out of nowhere, a bright blue arrow, formed from Reishi, rocketed through the air towards the Hollow's head. It managed to hurriedly dodge, dispersing its Cero._

 _Isshin's head whirled towards the source of the shot._

 _Stood in the middle of the street, beneath the building, was a girl. Her soaking auburn hair whipped around her face, matching the motion of her school uniform. In her hands, she held a bow, constructed from Reishi._

 _The Hollow flew from the captain and made a mad dash for Masaki. It moved insanely fast._

 _Before Isshin could even register how he would go after it, Masaki did a curious thing. As opposed to shooting at it, she dispelled her bow and extended one arm at it._

 _"Dodge, you idiot!" Isshin yelled._

 _Masaki ignored Isshin's shout. The black Hollow bit cleanly through her left shoulder; teeth sinking into flesh. Blood poured down her back, but…_

 _Her left arm shot up and grasped it around the back of the head. Masaki's right hand manifested a small bow, which she placed on the side of the Hollow's temple._

 _"Got youuuu~!" She cooed, blasting her in the head, point-blank._

* * *

"That was when I first saw her," Isshin said with a weak smile. "She was so... _beautiful_. Beautiful and strong." He began to laugh under his breath. "I was kind of embarrassed... I mean, a teenage girl saving a Captain?"

Ichigo and the girls also felt themselves break into an unintentional smile. Hearing about Isshin's first reaction to Masaki was nice.

"I asked her for her name, and of course she told me," Isshin continued. "But I had to return to the Soul Society... I reported the incident to the Head Captain, though I left out the details about your mother's involvement. I didn't want to cause her any trouble." He scratched the side of his head and smiled bashfully. "Truth be told, I couldn't stop thinking about her... So I went back to see her."

* * *

 _Ryūken Ishida was running through the streets of Karakura Town, cradling Masaki in his arms. He was sweating and his breathing was ragged._

 _Desperation gripped his face._

 _Ryūken didn't know where he was running to; only that he needed to help Masaki. She had collapsed fifteen minutes earlier. It appeared as if there was a Hollow hole opening on her chest._

 _He was so focused on running and caring for the girl that he failed to check his surroundings. Before he knew it, there was a Hollow charging at him. But this was not to be his day. The creature was split cleanly in half by an unknown force._

 _Hurriedly trying to place his saviour, Ryūken called out into the empty air._

 _"Phew... Close call," Isshin said, stepping forward. "Looks like I made it in the knick of time."_

 _"You...!" Ryūken hissed._

 _Noticing the Hollow hole beneath Masaki's throat, Isshin broke into a worried expression. "Wait, that's... Quick, let me see her!"_

 _"No!" Ryūken screamed, stepping away from the Shinigami Captain. "Why do you think she's like this?! She was attacked by that Hollow because she was trying to protect you! This is all your fault!"_

 _Isshin's eyes opened wide and he gasped._

 _"She broke the Quincy Code!" Ryūken continued. "She went out to save you when she was supposed to stay inside! Because of that, she was injured!" His eyes narrowed. "I swear that I'll-!"_

 _"Let's stop this..." a voice suddenly arose._

 _Isshin and Ryūken turned towards the source of the voice. Stood there, watching them, was a man in a black cloak. Pulled down low, his hat shrouded half of his face in shadow._

 _"Both of you follow me," he said. "If you do, I'll be able to help you save that girl."_

* * *

"That was the first time I met Kisuke Urahara," Isshin explained. "And Uryū's father..."

"What was wrong with Masaki-san?" Artoria asked, but Altria looked away, having a feeling of what happened.

"The Hollow who attacked me, as I found out, was created by Aizen," Isshin said, narrowing his eyes. "That was the traitor who attacked me. The Hollow was designed to Hollowify any high-level Shinigami it managed to bite. But for some reason... its natural instincts drew it to attack Masaki."

Ichigo clenched his fist. He suddenly had a strange inkling as to what his father was going to say.

"She began to Hollowify," his father said. "But, for some reason, it was poisoning her. Kisuke called it Soul Suicide... It means her soul wasn't used to the Hollowification, and was starting to break down."

The orange-haired youth was trembling.

"Kisuke said the only way to counteract the Soul Suicide was to insert something to suppress the Hollow Reiatsu. To restore balance in the soul." Isshin broke into a slight smile. "Ryūken was outraged... Knowing that, he couldn't be the one to help her. That it had to be me." His expression softened. "Truth be told, I don't think he thought I would actually do it. In order to counteract the Hollowification, my soul had to be inserted into a Gigai, and then bound to Masaki with Reishi strings. It would leave me human... unable to even see Hollows."

"But you did it to protect Mother..." Ichigo smiled.

"Yeah," Isshin replied, losing his slightly sombre attitude and beaming. "I did it because I wanted to save her…. because I was in love with her from the very first moment I saw her."

"So, what happened next?" Artoria asked.

"After that, Masaki was removed from the Ishida house... Due to her Soul being tainted by the Hollow, they no longer saw her as pure. As for me... The only subject I really paid any attention to in the Academy was medicine... So that's why I opened the clinic." He continued to smile. "While Masaki attended university, she would often come by to see me. I had told her I was stripped of my powers and exiled from the Soul Society for breaking the rules. I think she knew I was lying... She could always see right through me like that. But... those sorts of things never really mattered when we were together." Tears began to well in Isshin's eyes, before slipping down his cheeks. "One day we went to see a movie... It was a total snooze-fest from start to finish... But I'll always remember how Masaki bawled her eyes out from start to finish... And this one line. The man in the movie said, how his wife was like the sun. That was when I knew... Masaki was my sun."

Ichigo remembered how he had said, something similar about his mother. About how she was the centre of his family's universe. He cast his eyes to the floor and smiled.

"Then before we knew it... we got married and you were born... And the Hollow was passed from Masaki to you. And you know the rest. You met Rukia Kuchiki, went to Soul Society." He began to wring his hands together. "As you began to encounter strong opponents... And once you archived Bankai, the bonds holding back my Shinigami powers were broken. Which meant, after so many years, I started to get my powers back."

Altria, clenching her fists, looked at Isshin as she opened her mouth. But before she could say anything, Isshin interrupted, "No, Altria, it wasn't your fault, it wasn't even you."

"But… I" She gritted her teeth.

"Believe me when I say what attacked me and Masaki wasn't you. It was just a beast without consciousness, just a hungry Hollow, but you are exactly the opposite of it… I know it for sure if Masaki was here now, she too wouldn't hold it against you herself. In fact, she would have been thanking you for how much you and Artoria have made Ichigo happy."

"Thank you," Altria said, bowing, as she held back the tears.

Ichigo and Artoria wordlessly hugged her. After a minute, she calmed down, as Isshin continued the story.

"There is one important thing you have been misinformed about this entire time... And that is what happened the night your mother died. Nine years ago, on the seventeenth of June."

"What are you saying...?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm saying that..." Isshin gripped his forearm in a vice-like grip. "Your mother wasn't supposed to die. You already know a Quincy has a defensive ability called Blut, like you, right?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Pure-blooded Quincy are born with it. Every single one, without fail. Mixed blooded like Uryū is not..." He looked Ichigo dead in the eye. "Knowing that... Why was your mother killed by the Hollow, Grand Fisher? Or, to be more precise, how was he skilled enough to do so in the first place?"

Ichigo found himself stunned. He had not thought about it that way. In fact, even after finding out his mother was a Quincy, the thought had never even entered his mind.

Artoria and Altria looked away with a pained expression on their faces.

"Has Uryū Ishida ever spoken to you about his mother?" Isshin suddenly asked. Ichigo gave him no response. "His mother was Kanae Katagiri, a mixed-blood Quincy. Nine years ago, on the seventeenth of June... She collapsed... And three months later, she died."

"What happened nine years ago...?!" Ichigo asked, horrified.

 _"Auswhälen,"_ His father explained. "A holy selection of Quincy, conducted by Yhwach. In Quincy lore, a tale is told of a sealed Emperor: He'll regain his form after nine hundred years; his mind after ninety years; his power after nine." He gritted his teeth. "On that day, nine years ago, Yhwach selected all Quincy he deemed as 'impure', and stole their powers for his own."

Ichigo felt his heart lurch. He remembered staring down Yhwach on the battlefield. He knew from Soul King he was living on other's lives, but knowing that man was responsible for his mother's death, taking her life so he could live…? It made him feel physically sick.

Seeing Ichigo and feeling his emotions, Artoria and Altria placed a hand on his hands, trying to soothe him of his pain.

"You may already know it, but Yhwach…" Isshin explained, "is the predecessor of all Quincies. And his blood... flows through the veins of every Quincy. Even you."

Ichigo recalled the words Yhwach had spoken to him.

His face suddenly softened. "Father..." He whispered, before looking up into his father's eyes. "Thank you."

"Hmm," Isshin said, as he smiled a little. "I'll give some time to you guys." He said, and left the home to take a walk.

"Yuzu, Karin, we know you are there and heard everything," Altria said, as the sisters came inside the room.

"You are already 15, and curious too... Just like Ichigo was when he first received his powers," Artoria said to them, but they kept looking down.

"S-Sorry… I-It's just… we just wanted to know more! You guys haven't told us _anything_ … and now we know how Mother died by Grand Fisher's hands. Because of Yhwach… she couldn't protect herself…" Even the dependable Karin struggled to chain together sentences, as tears choked her throat. Yuzu was silently weeping behind her, before Ichigo got up and bear-hugged the two of them together.

After a while, he forced their chins up with his fingers, making them look at his smiling face. "Everything will be OK, don't worry; we'll come back alive," he promised.

"Please... Make sure you come back alive... We don't want to lose anyone else..." Karin said, sniffling.

"We will," Ichigo said, wiping their tears.

Yuzu then turned towards the twin Spirits. "You too, Onē-chan! If you don't come back, then I will never make food for you two!"

For Artoria and Altria, it was as if time itself had frozen. To them, no food from Yuzu was the same as the world ending – no, even more important than that.

"We will come back for sure!" Artoria said stiffly

"Definitely!" Altria echoed nervously.

"Hmm…!" Yuzu nodded smiling. "And when you do, I will have a feast ready for you two."

Ichigo, seeing their expression, chuckled.

After some time, they went back to their room. Ichigo sat on his bed along with the girls as he wistfully looked out of the window. It was already night time, so he said, "I always knew father was carrying a big secret, but I never imagined it would be something like this,"

"Ichigo…" Artoria said, bringing his attention to her. "Don't you hate us now?"

Ichigo was completely shocked at hearing that. "W-Why would you think like that?!"

"We both…" Altria said, as Ichigo looked at her. "My previous self, when I didn't have a consciousness… and that man's power, the very power which that leech has, the power which took her life – we both are, in some way, at fault for Masaki-san's death. So, don't you hate us now?"

"Of course not!" Ichigo firmly said, surprising him. "Altria, just now you yourself said the Hollow who attacked father and Mother was your previous self, without a consciousness! And as for you, Artoria, how is it your fault if you are a manifestation of my Quincy powers? Besides, we know they don't even originate from that scum. It isn't any of your faults!"

"Still, we can't help but feel guilty," Altria muttered.

Ichigo held both of their hands, as they looked at him. "I can never hate you two! How can I hate the ones who made me feel alive again?"

"Ichigo…." They whispered.

"After mother died, I was nothing more than a living corpse, I always thought it was my fault she died when I saw Father, Yuzu, and Karin… how it was because of _me_ they lost her. It was the same, day after day. Then, after I learned about the Shinigamis, Hollows, and then Grand Fisher, I thought I could make it up by protecting others, so they wouldn't have to go through what my family went through."

Ichigo tightens the hold on their hand. "It was only when I first saw you two… that my life was returned to me, it' just like Father said: just as he had fallen in love with Mother the moment he saw her, I too fell in love the moment I laid my eyes on you two. I would rather die in a world without you two in it, even for just a moment… So, please, never ask if I hate you two, because the answer always will be 'no'! I can't even bear that thought!"

The twin's face was glistening with tears, as Ichigo brought them into a loving hug.

"S-Sorry…"  
"W-we are s-sorry."

They said between sobs, as he ran a hand on their back.

After some time, they calmed down as Ichigo gently caressed their soft face, wiping away any tears which marred their beauty.

"We love you, Ichigo," Altria said, smiling lovingly.

"Always have, always will," Artoria continued.

"I, too, will always love you two," Ichigo replied.

The twins looked at each other for some moment, before they threw themselves at him, making him fall onto the bed completely. Before Ichigo could ask why they did that, his lips were covered by Artoria's, filled with love, before he replied with the same amount. After she pulled away, Altria did the same.

This went on for some time, and before long, the three of them were trying to catch their breath.

Artoria opened her mouth. "Ichigo, tonight… we want you to hold us."

"Prove to us we are your women." Altria continued.

They looked at him with warm and loving eyes, with hints of lust in their voice.

All three of them felt their hearts quicken, as Ichigo realized what they meant.

"If you two are sure about this… and wish to go that far, then I'm happy to go with you two," he replied, his voice marred with a similar passion.

"We want to take everything you have." Altria said.

"And we are going to give you everything we have." Artoria continued.

""Love us tonight, as we will love you in return,"" they both said sensually.

* * *

 ** _Next Time: Going Back and Fighting Back_**

 ** _See You All in The Next Chapter_**


	14. Going Back and Fighting Back

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and Fate Series or their characters they belong to their respective owners._**

 ** _Beta Tester: ekaterina016_**

 ** _A.N- Well sorry to make you all wait so long for this chapter, as I said in the notice before I had exams last month and then I took a week's rest after that, you guys understand right when you want to do nothing more than laze in the bed after the exams, now about the poll._**

 ** _Here are the results are…_**

 ** _Yes – 98_**

 ** _Not – 83_**

 ** _Doesn't matter – 106_**

 ** _I am honestly shocked at this result; I had honestly thought that yes will win. Well, since the third choice has won, I will decide it and the decision is no. I talked to some of my fellow writers and nearly all of them said that adding a lemon at this point isn't a good choice and I took their opinion in consideration. So, sorry to the guys who wanted action in this chapter. Now on with the story._ **

* * *

**_Chapter 14:_** **_Going Back and Fighting Back_**

* * *

Ichigo woke up with a grunt as the first rays of the rising sun fell on his face. He shivered slightly when the morning chill met his bare torso, momentarily confusing him until he remembered the deeds he committed last night before sleep claimed him.

He looked down and smiled warmly when he found the twins, fast asleep, the sunlight making their milky white skin, just barely visible beneath the blanket, glisten. Their bodies were melded to his, with one of their arms draped over his chest and their head buried in the crook of his neck.

He could feel their heartbeat. He could feel the connection they had, stronger than it ever had been before. Power flowed freely between them like two intersecting, rushing rivers, clear as day. From the moment they made love until they were finished, not many words were spoken. They weren't necessary to begin with. Their thoughts were conveyed only through touch and actions.

He reached down to gently brush a stray lock of their blonde hair out of their face, if only so he could admire their impossibly perfect features better. He had always wondered, from the moment he saw them, just how could anyone be this beautiful and elegant. Unfortunately, that small act had the unintentional side effect of waking the twins up.

He watched patiently as emerald and golden eyes slowly opened, and a delicate hand shifted to rub the sleep out of them. Then their eyes turned to look at him, and their lips curled upwards into a radiant smile.

"Morning, handsome."

"Good morning, Ichigo."

"Good morning to you too, Artoria, Altria."

None of them moved to get up. They didn't want to. Of course, they had to eventually, but in that moment, nothing else mattered. Ichigo could feel their breath on his skin, and the girls could feel his hands on theirs. So, for a few sweet moments, the rest of the world faded away, leaving only them. No responsibilities. No enemies. No war. Just the three of them.

"I love you, Artoria, Altria," Ichigo said.

It wasn't anything he had said for the first time, and it wasn't certainly not the last time, but nonetheless those words didn't seem to fail to bring a pair of lovely smiles from their faces.

""And we love you, Ichigo,"" they replied together, bringing a smile on his face as well.

Then, without warning, the world came back, and with it came all of the problems they would have to face. Those which once threatened to break the bond they have. Those which were new to them, despite having knowledge of what could happen. But now, there were no more secrets being withheld.

The morning sunlight crested over the horizon, slowly illuminating the room. It was a new day, and the enemies wouldn't wait for them.

"We should get up," Ichigo suggested,

"You are right."

"Hmm."

Anyone could notice the disappointment in their tone.

* * *

 **Soul Society**

The Gotei Thirteen were busy preparing for the next inevitable battle with the Quincy army. Numerous soldiers bustled in an attempt to rebuild the numerous damaged buildings and streets. As this occurred, those not tasked with repair trained and honed their skills.

Akon, and the remaining members of the Research and Development Division, were busying themselves at various work stations and machines. Though their faces or work ethic didn't suggest it, they were feeling worried. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi hadn't left his private lab in over a week. Even more worryingly, the Captain had shut off all of the surveillance devices. It was almost as if he was trying to hide something.

From their labs, in the basement of the destroyed institute, Akon and his fellows had observed their comrades progress.

Almost two weeks had passed since the initial attack and they were just about getting back on their feet. The truth of the matter was the Shinigami were doing far better than expected.

Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki had been training almost non-stop since the end of the last attack. Honing their skills and supporting each other, through their own inner turmoil. Not a single person had seen Sajin Komamura or Suì-Fēng, following the departure of the Zero Division. Theories were exchanged among the few remaining unseated officers, suggesting they were outside Seireitei, preparing themselves.

Retsu Uonhana, or 'Yachiru', was taken away from Seireitei to a safe place where other civilians and injured Shinigamis were. She was alive, but in a coma. Kenpachi had not visited her even once, but knowing his personality, it wasn't really a surprise.

Shunsui Kyoraku was often seen prowling around the Seireitei as acting Head Captain. It appeared he was setting traps for the Quincy, should they make their return.

No one knew when the Vandenreich would attack next; however, with the preparations they had put it place, they wouldn't be going down without a fight.

However, in spite of all their preparing and planning, there was one thing the Shinigami did not account for. Something moving beneath their very feet.

The shadows.

* * *

 **Squad 8**

Shunsui Kyoraku watched the Seireitei from the open wall of his office. The deep red sun was sinking below the horizon, throwing orange light across the rooftops below him.

Birds flew through the sky, circling the buildings. Visible, through pink clouds, the full moon had already risen.

The brown haired man took a deep breath and sighed deeply. He knew they were prepared, but there were times he was worried that even being prepared may not have been enough.

As if taking a cue from this feeling, a strange sensation began to spread up his legs; starting from his feet. In one swift move, his shadow spread out across the floor of the office and shot up the walls.

Following behind the ripple of darkness, the floor and walls began to change. Instead of wood, white marble and ice was left in the wake of the change.

From the open wall, Shunsui could see the same thing happening all across the Seireitei. Buildings were eclipsed in darkness, leaving new constructs behind.

Where the Seireitei once stood, the Silbern remained.

"Shit..." Shunsui muttered under his breath. "And just like that, all the traps I've set are useless... Talk about taking us by surprise."

"That was the plan," a voice arose from behind him. "We didn't break through the Shakonmaku to invade... Rather, we had been here from the beginning, hiding in the shadows."

* * *

 **Squad 12**

The machines and sensors of the Research and Development Division were all going haywire. The barely-restored laboratory was in absolute pandemonium as the various scientists and Shinigami hurried to figure out exactly what was going on.

"Shit! Nothing's coming up!" Hiyosu screamed, frantically slamming his fingers into the various buttons in front of him. "This isn't possible! How could the Seireitei just vanish?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Calm down, Hiyosu!" Akon shouted back. "Are you really doubting all of our machines?!"

"That's my point!" The portly creature retorted. "If the Seireitei is really gone, why are all our machines still here?!"

Almost occurring on-cue, shadows leapt from the ground and eclipsed the various machines and computers. The individuals of the division now found themselves in a cavernous hall, formed from white marble and ice. Pillars of various shapes and sizes surrounded them all.

"What the hell is happening?!" Hiyosu screamed.

"I see you're confused..." The man in the middle of the room said.

Until he spoke, none of the Research and Development Institute members had even noticed him.

"Who the...?" Akon gasped.

Askin Nakk Le Vaar – 'Sternritter D' – ignored the statement, instead choosing to continue his explanation. "One thousand years ago, when the Shinigami all but exterminated our people, we fled… to a location so obvious you overlooked it. We took refuge _in the Seireitei_." He placed his hands into his pockets and began to pace. "Once inside, we found something which would give us near-limitless power: Reishi. Unlike in the human world, Reishi is abundant in the Soul Society. In fact, the whole world is formed from it. By using this free-flowing Reishi, my ancestors were able to create a space within the shadows of the Seireitei. And thus, we named it the 'Vandenreich' – the Invisible Empire."

"Where the hell did you come from?!" Hiyosu screamed at the man.

"Were you not listening?" Askin asked, emotionless. "I did not come from anywhere. I've been here _since the beginning_." Forming a short knife from Reishi, the Sternritter leapt forwards and cut through the throats of the two Shinigami who stood closest to him. "I expected you to be more astute than this..."

"Well, you can't blame them," a voice chuckled from thin air. "I mean… creating a pocket dimension inside the shadows? The very notion defies logic!"

In the middle of the cavernous hall, a door began to open. Blinding light seared from the doorway, and into the open air.

"But, then again..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi laughed, stepping out of the invisible room. "I quite enjoy defying logic myself!"

The crazed Captain was clad, head-to-toe in an outfit which could most closely be described as… _the sun_. White light spewed from his form, in a similar manner to the invisible room behind him.

"I had guessed, during your last invasion, that shadows played a part in your abilities," Mayuri explained, grinning. "And so, I remodelled the entire inside of my laboratory to cast no shadows whatsoever."

Askin raised one eyebrow. "Very impressive."

Without another word, he leapt at the Captain, so quickly that many of the gathered men weren't even able to register him. Lifting his Reishi knife, he attempted to slash at Mayuri's face, but the captain's sword shot up and parried the blow.

"Unluckily for you," Mayuri said, grinning. "I've programmed my sword to automatically parry any strike heading towards me around a three-foot radius of my body."

Mayuri swung his Zanpakuto up at the Sternritter. Askin hurriedly jumped back to dodge and threw the knife at the Captain. He watched on as that, too, was knocked aside. "It may not work against projectiles, but if you insist on throwing the knife that slowly, it's child's play to block," he said, half-bored.

Askin formed a bow from Reishi and began to launch arrows at Mayuri, which of course were much faster than his knife. Blue flashes lanced through the air.

Hurriedly dodging, Mayuri gritted his teeth. ' _He's good at adapting...'_ he thought. _'No emotions clouding his judgement, either... Impressive.'_

Still launching arrows, Askin suddenly directed his aim away from Mayuri, and retreated towards the disembodied door.

* * *

"Don't give them an inch!"

"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!"

A flame ripped through the air, lifting at least a dozen unseated Shinigami off of their feet, and charring another four to death. Bazz-B pulled an exasperated expression and scratched the side of his head. "What's the point of holding your ground?" He sighed, lifting one eyebrow. "The Seireitei is gone. It doesn't matter if you let me through or not."

The Quincy snapped his fingers. Another flame sparked through the air, before a second explosion detonated, killing six more Shinigami.

"What's he doing?!"

"Is his ability controlling fire?!"

Bazz-B began to chuckle. His eyes flicked over the Shinigami surrounding him. "Fire?" He began to chuckle, sarcastically. "Do me a favour. You really think my power is something as simple as that?"

His fingers snapped again and flame went towards the Shinigamis, ready to burn them to a crisp, but at that moment, a wall of Ice fell on that flame, vanquishing it. When the flame died, it revealed a short white-haired captain and his lieutenant.

"You are right; it might not matter anyone passes or not. However, your flames won't be getting through anytime soon," Tōshirō declared.

"Is that so…?" Bazz-B narrowed his eyes.

* * *

As the battles began below, Yhwach looked down upon the Silbern from the roof of the ice palace. Beside him, Uryū Ishida stood. Turning towards the boy, a smile playing on his lips, Yhwach asked him, "Are you familiar with the Kaiser Gesang?"

Uryū glanced over at Yhwach. "Yes, Your Majesty. _After nine hundred years, the sealed King will regain his pulse; after ninety, his mind; and after nine years, he will regain the power he had lost._ "

"I see you are lacking knowledge of the final line," Yhwach said, sweeping his gaze over the battlefields. _"That the sealed King will regain the world, his to rule, after nine days."_

He stepped forwards and broke into a wide grin. "Prepare yourself for the sights you will behold... Thus begin the last nine days."

* * *

Marechiyo Omaeda, Lieutenant of Squad Two, moved slowly. He was in his family home when the Silbern had overtaken the Seireitei. After making sure his sister was safe, he had ventured forth into the maze of snowy white streets. It was good Ichigo had ordered all the civilians to get away from Seireitei, or she would have been caught in all this.

 _'Why did this have to happen when Captain Suì-Fēng was away training... I'm not suited to this kind of situation!'_

The rotund Lieutenant took a deep breath and calmed himself. He remembered the last invasion. Other than the Head Captain, his captain was the only one who managed to kill an enemy soldier.

 _'That means I must be able to win... I mean, I've had the same training...'_

The soles of his shoes crunched against the snow, sinking down. Omaeda made as little noise as was humanly possible. Despite his size, his training in the Stealth Force showed evidently.

It was a shame his enemy was more than perceptive enough to discover him.

BG9 – 'Sternritter K' – was laying atop a building several streets over. Extending over the edge of the roof was the barrel of a gun, with a large scope mounted on top. He held the white Reishi weapon and aimed slowly at the Lieutenant.

The Sternritter's small shot of Reishi tore through the air and ripped through Omaeda's left leg. Blood flew into the air and spattered into the snow.

Omaeda's hand lurched upwards and clasped his wound. Blood pooled in his palm and began to seep through his fingers, as he let out a hoarse cry of pain.

Another electric blue shot of Reishi cut through the air again, making another hole in Lieutenant's hand.

As Omaeda clasped his injured hand, a third projectile of spirit energy hit him in the left leg. His large form crashed to the floor, his leg giving way under his own weight.

BG9 appeared in front of the downed Lieutenant.

Realising that, in his pain, he had forgotten to mind his surroundings, Omaeda attempted to run. BG9, however, had other plans. Stomping down, he trapped Omaeda's injured leg beneath his large military boot.

He glared up at the Quincy, peering through the blood spatter across the side of his face. The Lieutenant gritted his teeth, his hand nervously moving over the floor in an attempt to locate his dropped Zanpakuto.

"Tell me where your Captain is, and I'll make it quick," BG9 asked.

"You think I'm the kind of person who would sell out my Captain?" Omaeda said forcefully.

BG9 shot him through the foot. "Last chance." He cocked his head to the side and scratched at his goatee beard. "I expect an answer."

"Never... I will never tell you..." Omaeda ground out from between his teeth.

As BG9 attacked the lieutenant, a white light shot past him. He looked at the gun and saw half of the barrel was missing. Together, he and Omaeda saw Squad 2's Captain was holding on to it on one hand, and dropped the bullets from another hand.

"My sensors did not detect anything," BG9 said.

"I would be a laughing stock if I can't conceal my Reiatsu when I am the head of Omnitsukidou," she replied.

"What is that...?" BG9 muttered. "It's not her Bankai, as I have it..."

"I see you're confused," Suì-Fēng laughed, continuing to dart through the sky. "Haven't you heard of Shunko?"

"Mixing Kido with Hakuda?" BG9 said. "But yours is incomplete."

" _Was_ incomplete," she corrected. "Since the battle with Aizen, I've been perfecting it. Your last invasion was just the push I needed!" Rocketing towards BG9, the whirlwind behind her whipped up a storm. "My Shunko is wind-based! Once it's activated, it rotates infinitely, expending next to none of my Reiatsu. My thanks to you, because without you stealing my Bankai, I wouldn't have been able to master it to this extent."

Suì-Fēng closed the distance between the two of them in less than half a second. Rearing up her right shoulder, she lifted her fist. "Eternal Shunko!"

BG9 dissipated his machine guns and crossed his arms to block. The Captain's fist slammed into his forearm and flung him backwards by sheer force. Tumbling head over heels, he ploughed through several buildings before being shrouded in a cloud of dust.

Suì-Fēng touched down on the ground, her Shunko still active atop the back of her shoulders. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, at her subordinate, she began to walk towards Omaeda.

"Pick yourself up..." she said slowly. "You need to find a member of the Fourth Division and heal yourself. You're going to be needed in the battles ahead."

"Y-Yes, Captain..." Omaeda said, attempting to shift his position so he could return to his feet.

 _'She's amazing...'_ he thought, watching his Captain's graceful, yet strong movements. ' _She's killed two Sternritter already. And she's perfected her Shunko...'_

Three missiles suddenly appearing in the sky of the Silbern, screaming towards the Captain. The smell of burning fuel filled the air and smoke shot from the tail ends of the artillery. Suì-Fēng kicked off from the ground a split second before they landed. Colliding with the ground, they detonated violently, levelling several buildings and tearing up the street.

Two more rockets blasted through the skies of the Silbern at the airborne Captain. Ducking and dodging, the whirlwind of Suì-Fēng's Shunko propelled her away from the fire of the previous explosions and out of the path of the new rockets.

"Still alive even after that, you monster!?" Suì-Fēng taunted.

BG9 came out of the rubble, as she saw his real appearance was made of machine.

"Alive? I have never taken a breath in my life," BG9 said.

* * *

 **Squad 12**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was staring intently at one of the numerous monitors which inhabited his glowing beacon of science. The spy bacteria he had infected all of the members of the Gotei Thirteen with were practically paying for themselves. Over the course of the invasion, he had gathered data of immeasurable worth.

After the fight between him and Askin, he was watching all the captains' fights. "Now, that is interesting..." he chuckled, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

 **"And what might that be?"** A disembodied voice asked.

"The Sternritters," Mayuri replied. "It may hold a clue as to how the Bankais could be re-" He stopped short, when he realised just whose voice he was talking to.

 **"Splendid!"** Kisuke Urahara's voice exclaimed. **"If not a bit slow. After analysing the medallions I retrieved following Ichigo's battle, and experimenting on that Sternritter's corpse, I've already come up with a method to regain the Bankai!"** His voice was musical and light-hearted.

"Wow, Kisuke Urahara is really amazing..." A nearby member of the Research and Development institute whispered, as he overheard the conversation. He was soon hurriedly shushed by his comrades, in hopes the Captain had not heard him.

Mayuri ignored his statement. "How are you doing that?" He asked, his yellow eyes moving curiously.

 **"Oh! I implanted a communications device in your ear a while back! I forget when or how, but regardless, it's pretty useful, isn't it?"**

"How dare you!" Mayuri yelled in response. "Implanting something of this nature without my permission." Lifting his finger, he placed it over the side of his luminescent headdress.

 **"Wait, don't cut it off!"** Urahara's voice cried. **"I've got important information about the enemy!"**

"Goodbye." Mayuri pulled a disinterested expression as he plunged his finger through his headdress and into his ear.

 **"No! Wait! St-!"**

"Got youuuu~!" Urahara popped out of a small Senkaimon behind the Twelfth Division Captain. "I was waiting in the Dangai for the perfect moment to pop out!"

Mayuri was so outraged his expression looped right back around to completely dumbfounded.

Urahara stepped out of the Dangai portal and snapped the cell phone he held in his hand closed. Beneath the shadow cast by his hat, he broke into a serious expression. "But back to more urgent matters... I know how we can prevent the theft of Bankais, and how to return those which were stolen."

"Pinpoint the locations of all Captains and Vice Captains!" Akon shouted over his shoulder at the other members of the Research and Development Division. "Hiyosu, set up a Tenteikura!" He was tapping hurriedly against the glowing white keyboard in front of him.

"On it!" Hiyosu replied, beginning to cast the Kido.

"Everyone else!" Akon continued. "Work on releasing all of the remaining modified bugs! Map out the environment!"

Behind them all, Urahara was busy explaining his new invention to Mayuri.

"Shineiyaku," he said, opening a leather bag he had withdrawn from his cloak. Inside the pouch were at least two dozen black pills, resembling hard candies. "With these, we can completely prevent the theft of Bankais, as well as return the Bankais which have already been stolen."

"So what, pray tell, is your hypothesis?" Mayuri asked, attempting to conceal his disgust for the man in front of him.

"I had an inkling about the method of prevention when I first began my experiment," Urahara explained. "I learned our enemy had already invaded and overtaken Hueco Mundo. And yet, when I ventured there to confirm this news, I discovered a very strange thing. Not a single one of the Arrancar had their Resurrección stolen." His eyes narrowed. "As I'm sure you're aware, the nature of the Resurrección makes it essentially the same as a Bankai. So why hadn't they been taken? It wasn't that they had no interest in Arrancar – rather, the opposite: they drafted many of them into their army to use as soldiers... So, that leaves two reasons open as to why the Resurrección weren't stolen."

"Either they couldn't steal them, or it would be detrimental to do so," Mayuri said, completing Urahara's train of thought.

"Precisely." Urahara broke into a grin. "And thanks to Captain Ōtoribashi, we have the final piece of the puzzle."

"All soldiers of lieutenant rank and up have been pinpointed inside and outside of the Seireitei!" Akon called over his shoulder.

"Excellent," Urahara said, eyeing the bag of pills in his hand.

* * *

 **With Suì-Fēng…**

Suì-Fēng cried out in pain as an explosion to her left shattered her elbow.

Most of her Shihakusho had been burnt from her body, and the blood which spewed from her open wounds was dried into her skin, superheated by the numerous blasts which assaulted her. The left side of her face was so swollen and charred that her eye was closed. The skin of her back was mottled and scorched, as was her exposed right leg.

BG9 maintained his distance, continuously launching her own Bankai missiles at the Captain. Light danced across his dark skin, thrown forth by the great blaze his weaponry had set upon the buildings.

 _'I need to get a clean hit on him!'_ Suì-Fēng thought, as she was flung around like a rag doll by the explosions. ' _I'm getting blown to death here... If only I could use my Bankai!'_

 ** _"Ahem..."_** A voice suddenly echoed inside her head. " ** _Greetings to all captains of the Gotei Thirteen, and hello to all you lieutenants out there, as well! My name is Kisuke Urahara! There are probably some of you out there who don't know me, but fear not, I'll make the introductions once things have... calmed down a bit."_**

Distracted by the sudden appearance of Urahara's voice, Suì-Fēng felt a blow against her stomach. A Reishi missile had caught her full on in the gut. Exploding violently, the projectile sent her hurtling through the air, and crashing into the ground below.

The Captain lifted her head, her eyes losing focus and a haze gripping her mind. Everything was beginning to grow muffled and fuzzy. _'That stupid idiot... Why would he... Interrupt everyone's battles like this?'_

 ** _"This is a very exciting time!"_** The voice continued. **_I've managed to develop a method of regaining lost Bankais! And to top it off, it can also be used to prevent the theft of Bankais as well. Aren't I just the most resourceful little genius?"_**

"W-what...?" Suì-Fēng gasped, through bloodied and burnt lips.

 ** _"Along with this transmission, I've sent you all a little black pill. All you need to do is touch it, and it will take effect. You can use anything you want; your hand, your foot, your sword, even your private par-!"_**

 ** _"Stop that right now!"_** Akon shouted, over the Tenteikura.

Suì-Fēng ignored the rest of the comical arguing which was filling her head. Her entire attention, half-conscious as it was, was focussed on a small black object which had just appeared next to her.

Reaching out, her arm trembled, dripping blood onto the ground around her. Just as the strength left her shoulder, her hand dropped and touched the pill. Immediately, the medication was drawn into her body, invading her system. She could feel it grafting onto her soul.

"What is that?!" BG9 asked, when he felt something off and his stolen Bankai disappearing.

"An old trick I've dug out just for you... **_Bankai: Jakuhō Raikōben_**!" Suì-Fēng declared weakly.

* * *

 **Squad 12**

"The method is very simple..." Urahara explained, directing his attention towards Mayuri and Akon. "Quincies have no natural defences against Hollows. It's for that reason they mercilessly hunt them like they do... One bite is enough to infect a Quincy, and begin to break down their cells. So if we insert a minuscule fragment of Hollow Reiatsu into the Captain's Bankais, no matter how small, the very nature of it will become like poison to the Quincies."

"That's why the Sternritter who stole Captain Rose's Bankai reacted to its activation the way he did," Mayuri continued. "Because Urahara's pills are providing a sudden jolt of Hollow Reiatsu, it disrupts the connection to the Quincies' medallion. However, in Rose's case, the Hollow Reiatsu was already a part of his Bankai... That is why it was slowly poisoning the Quincy who stole it. And it all came to a head when he activated the stolen Bankai."

"And now that they know the Bankais contain a little bit of Hollow-seasoning," Urahara grinned. "They won't be stealing them anymore."

* * *

 **Royal Palace**

All of the Royal Guards were in front of the entrance of the palace, ready to bid farewell to their guests.

"You three are good to go now!" Tenjirō yelled as Ichigo, Artoria and Altria were walking towards him.

They were wearing a white robe and white turban, holding up their hair. "Yeah," Ichigo said, but the three of them stopped and noticed something missing.

"What is it?" Tenjirō asked.

 **"Uh… where is the machine we came in with?** " Artoria asked Tenjirō, who blinked in surprise.

"You're takin' the scenic route back," Tenjirō said, as they gave him a blank stare.

 **"What?"** Altria asked, deadpanning.

"Sorry, we can't use that method again for some time," Ichibe apologized in somewhat of a jolly tone.

"You don't really look sorry." Ichigo muttered.

 **"So, how will we go back?"** Artoria asked.

"By the stairs! Senjumaru, the stairs!" Tenjirō asked, as she taps her staff causing a very long stair case to appear.

"A week at normal speed, a day if you hurry," Ichibe said. "Though you might want to hurry; the Quincy have already started their attack."

 **"You should have told us that before…"** Altria muttered.

The three of them walked over to the steps and then turned towards them. "Thank you for everything you have done for us." Ichigo said.

 **"We will always be thankful to you,"** Artoria mimicked.

 **"Thanks,"** Altria repeated.

"No problemo, Ichigo-chan and Honey-chans!" Nimaiya said.

"It was a good experience, having disciples such as you three," Ichibe replied with a big smile.

"Here, when you get hungry halfway." A fattened Kirio passed Ichigo a big bag filled with food.

Ichigo and the twins waved their hand and jumped, making their descent back to the Seireitei.

"That kid's going to single-handedly win this war, isn't he?" Kirinji wondered aloud.

"Most likely. I actually feel a tad bit sorry for those Quincies," Ichibe chuckled.

"They have come up a long way, haven't they?" Kirio asked.

"Indeed, they have." Shutara agreed.

"They have matured," Ichibe said.

"They have become real Shinigamis now," Tenjirō commented.

"I think the term 'knights' will be better suited to them." Nimaiya said, to which others nodded in agreement.

* * *

 **The Next Day…  
Soul Society**

"So, which one of us gets the killing blow?" Liltotto Lamperd – 'Sternritter G', the Glutton – asked her allies while eating a banana. They all surrounded the burned-up body of Kenpachi Zaraki. She and the other girls took advantage of his weakened state after his fight with Gremmy and attacked him.

"Let's just make it quick so we don't make a mess," Meninas McAllon – 'Sternritter P', the Power – said.

"Screw that! I'm not taking any chances with this monster; I say we all attack him at once and destroy him!" Candice Catnipp – 'Sternritter T', the Thunderbolt – shouted.

"Can't we play with him for a bit longer?" Giselle Gewell – 'Sternritter Z', the Zombie – asked with a hopeful look in her eyes. Their bickering was interrupted when they sensed three powerful Reiatsu in the sky above them.

* * *

"Finally... they returned...," Rukia said with a big smile on her face, standing next to Byakuya. "Can't you feel it, Big Brother? To whom these Reiatsus belong!?" She asked excitedly, as the clouds suddenly disappear at the middle, showing them the answer.

Artoria and Altria were in their adult forms, and Ichigo was in what looked like a mix of Resurrección and Vollständig. His hair was white blond like Altria, but with emerald eyes like Artoria. His upper armor was in his Vollständig form, but the lower armor took on his Resurrección form. The wings on his back was also different now – the left side was white, while the right side was black. The crown on his head was made of golden light like in his Vollständig, but it now had black outline.

But what struck them odd was he didn't had Excalibur, Morgan or Rhongomyniad on him. Instead he was carrying a large red flag on a black pole with sharp ends on both sides. It had a white shield painted on it with Avalon and Vortigern's design. A golden lion and black dragon was painted on the shield's left and right side respectively, representing Artoria and Altria. **(1)**

And… they were also followed by an army of knights in silver armors!?

"What is that form… and who are those knights..." Byakuya asked with widened eyes.

"Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Zero. Take out all the Quincies!" Ichigo ordered.

 **"Yes, Your Majesty!"** The knights yelled as they all shot towards their targets.

* * *

"This is insane!" Ikkaku yelled while the knights took down Quincies around them, with Yumichika and Captain Shinji behind him. They were stopped by a group of Quincy soldiers blocking their path, only for them to killed by the knights as they cleared a path for them.

"Good thing he's on our side," Shinji smirked, noticing none of the knights were attacking any Shinigami.

* * *

"Ichigo!" Rukia sounded relieved while she watched the carnage along with her older brother.

"It seems Ichigo Kurosaki came with a plan," Byakuya said, not even bothering to hide his small smirk. He made a mental note to talk about this with him on a tea ceremony.

* * *

"That's Ichigo," Urahara stated, seeing the whole thing through the video feed. "And he even brought some reinforcements?"

"How did he even bring that many people into the Seireitei?" Mayuri asked aloud.

"I think it has something to do with his powers," he said, while Mayuri made notes on the subject.

* * *

"That boy…!" Yhwach gritted his teeth, as he and Haschwald watched their army get decimated. They heard Uryū chuckling lightly behind them, watching the chaos with amusement.

"Something funny, Uryū Ishida?" Haschwald turned his icy glare on the boy.

"Just that… you should have brought a bigger army." Uryū did nothing to hide his enjoyment of the show Ichigo's reinforcement were putting on.

"How would more soldiers stop him?" The blonde Quincy asked.

"They wouldn't, but it would have kept him busy for a little longer," Uryū said without missing a beat pushing his glasses up, kind of wishing he was fighting alongside Ichigo right now. Yhwach said nothing, merely waving his hand and silently ordering Haschwald to prepare the 'key'. Near the base of the tower, 'Sternritter D', Askin Nekk Le Vaar watched the fire fight with binoculars.

Just in seconds, many of the low-level Quincies were wiped away as Ichigo and the girls went to the Squad 11's Captain.

* * *

 **With Kenpachi…**

Kenpachi was just about to doze off when he heard a voice.

 **"I see you had a fun time with these tramps,"** Altria said.

The women turned around, wide eyed, to see Ichigo and twins standing there.

"Huh? What are you all doing?" Kenpachi grinned despite his battered appearance.

"Saving you. What's it look like?" Ichigo frowned.

"Me…? Worry about yourself first." Kenpachi's eye travelled to the thunderbolt-wielding Sternritter who was charging up to punch Ichigo in the back of the head with an electrified fist. Ichigo merely tilted his head to the side as Altria grabbed the woman's wrist.

 **"Good attack. Even had the power to kill,"** Altria complimented, looking at Candice while still keeping a tight hold on her wrist.

"T-Thank you?" Candice was confused by the compliment.

 **"But it wasn't enough,"** Altria grinned, throwing her from over Ichigo's shoulder across the city and straight into a building which crumbled on top of her.

Of course, as expected, they were surrounded by the rest of the girls.

"We should end this soon," Ichigo said, dodging the big wriggling set of sharp dentures from the smaller Sternritter girl.

 **"Hmm, we don't have time for the foot soldiers,"** Altria dodged a punch which was aimed for his back from the pink haired girl, and delivering a kick to her chest which sent her flying.

 **"They aren't foot soldiers."** Artoria corrected, dodging Litotto's attacks and punched her in the face, sending her straight into the building behind her.

"Guh!" Liltotto pulled herself out of the rubble, setting her jaw back in place.

"They are good!" Meninas said, getting back on her feet.

"What did you expect?" Liltotto replied, wiping the blood from her nose. "This is Ichigo Kurosaki, and his Zanpakutō spirits – head of the list of 'special threats'."

"WHO CARES!?" The place where Candice was buried exploded with lightning. "I don't give a shit if they are special threats or not! I won't forgive her for covering me in dirt!" She yelled, glaring at Altria. Her hair was a mess, skin and uniform covered in dust from the rubble which crashed on top of her a few moments ago.

"She's getting mad~" Giselle said in a sing-song voice.

"Doesn't she know that, unlike her, I get up early every morning to do my hair!?" Candice screamed.

 **"I don't think any amount of primping will make you look less like a tramp!"** Altria said honestly, angering the girl even more.

"You BITCH!" Punching her heart shaped belt buckle and summoning her bow, a heart shape with two lightning bolts attached to it formed. Candice aimed at the still-smugly smirking Altria.

 **"Touch a nerve, did I?"** She remarked, not even flinching with the weapon pointed at her.

"Galvano Blast!" She shouted firing an electrified arrow at her. The impact caused a small lightning explosion where she struck her along with her twin and master, leaving a cloud of smoke when the light died down. "Take that! Five gigajoules should turn you to ashes!" Candice spat, looking at the destruction.

"Idiot! that won't be enough to kill any of them!" Liltotto stated.

 **"She's right, you know,"** Altria said from within the smoke. Whipping her hand out, she blew the smouldering dust away, revealing no damage to any of them. **"Then again, we are the head of the list of 'special threats', as you said. So what hope do any of you have against us?"**

"She's got a point," Liltotto agreed with her, pressing her heart-shaped pack on her side summoning her own Quincy bow shaped like a bear trap. Meninas and Giselle did the same, as all four women pointed their weapons at her.

Altria smirked. **"Sister, Ichigo, leave them to me."**

 **"Very well,"** Artoria said, as she and Ichigo backed away.

Altria grinned, watching the incoming barrage. Removing Morgan from its scabbard, she didn't bother unleashing her Shikai, since it wasn't even necessary. With a single Reiatsu Burst of her sword, the arrows were all vaporised, also creating a concussive blast which sent the female Sternritters flying. They tried getting back up, only to be hit by an energy beam which forced them all into the side of a building. Candice was the first to get slammed into the wall, followed by the rest of her allies on top of her.

"DAMMIT!"

They quickly scrambled off of her, as she threw a little lightning tantrum.

"She's strong," Liltotto said, holding her aching stomach.

"She's starting to annoy me," Meninas brushed some of the dust off her skirt.

"I wish she was dead," Giselle drooled.

"I guess we're in agreement then," Candice smirked, activating her Vollständig. "She's got to be executed!" Her wings took the form of thunderbolts as she stood arrogantly.

"I still think we're in over our heads here. Not to mention the two of them behind her!" Liltotto tried to reason with her.

"Screw you all! I'll get the glory of killing the biggest threats, and his majesty will grant me whatever I wish!" She shouted, before taking off to fight.

 **"You know, since you don't have any brain, you should listen to her,"** Altria said, as she effortlessly dodged her thunderbolt blades.

"YOU BITCH!" She tried shooting everything at once in one big thunderbolt. Altria smirked and stopped it with her bare hand. "IMPOSSIBLE!"

With a Sonido, Altria was already behind her, and Candice was suddenly looking at bloody stumps where her hands used to be. She spun around to try and retaliate in some way, but paused when a sharp point was pressed on the back of her neck.

 **"You lose here, and that's because you didn't listen to that girl when she said I was out of your league."** Those were the last words Candice heard when Altria removed her head from the body in a single swing, her Vollständig dissipating as the two halves her body fell back down to the earth.

"S-She took out Candice!" Meninas actually seemed a little scared now.

"Like it was nothing…" Liltotto carefully tried to analyse the situation and come up with a plan.

Unfortunately, Altria had already moved first, appearing next to them. Without warning, she drove her heel in the pink haired girl's face, while knocking Giselle away with a punch.

"Wait a second, don't you want information on what we're planning?!" Liltotto tried to stall for time.

 **"Not really… our current plan is to finish all the Quincies,"** Altria said, putting her sword down and pointing her finger at her. **"Besides, did you really think I won't notice you buying time?"** She fired a Cero from the palms of her hands, sending the girl flying straight through another building. Even her Blut Vene couldn't save her from her certain death.

Altria's eyes roamed around looking for her next prey, until they landed on the black-haired girl on the ground clutching her bleeding head. She began to predatorily and slowly walk towards her.

"W-Wait! I'm not good at fighting; you m-might not w-want to attack m-me!" Giselle pleaded with a stutter.

 **"Who said this is a fight? It's just an extermination."**

Just when she was about to fire a Reiatsu Burst, someone else beat her to it. A laser beam of heat pierced Giselle through the stomach, along with the two other women while they were trying to get to their feet.

"Sorry, but I need you three to stay dead for a while."

Altria, along with Artoria and Ichigo, looked over to see a Mohawk-haired Quincy with a smoking index finger. He was forced to flee from his fight with Squad 10's Captain because of the knights assisting him, so just like that, he also decided to follow and joined his allies in here.

"What the hell… Bazz B?" Liltotto wheezed while collapsing.

"Quit your bitching; glory is something that's up for grabs. Especially for those who show up late," Bazz smirked, watching them drop. "Isn't that right, Missy?"

Altria raised an eyebrow. **"And who are you supposed to be?"**

"'Sternritter H', the Heat… Bazz B," the Quincy introduced himself.

"It's not just him," a new voice said. Three more Sternritters showed up on top of the buildings around them: a fat guy with sunglasses riding a floating basket, a dark-skinned man with a visor over his eyes, and an elderly gentleman with a moustache.

Ichigo and Artoria, sensing Altria might have some problem dealing with them altogether, came to her and even called back some of the knights. Just when both sides were about to attack each other, Renji came along with Byakuya, Rukia, Shuhei, Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Renji…?"

"Leave them to us Ichigo; we will deal with them." Renji said, smirking.

"You three, go on ahead and finish that bastard!" Ikkaku declared, smirking all the same.

"Okay, the knights will help you guys fight them!" Ichigo said, as he and the twins went after Yhwach, leaving the Shinigamis and the knights to deal with the Quincies.

* * *

The three of them were nearing Ywhach's location, as he was about to disappear from the tall building.

 **"That light... What the hell is that...?!"** Altria questioned, as Artoria's eyes narrowed, not liking it.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Artoria, Altria…" Ywhach said, causing them too somehow hear him from a long distance as his eyes narrowed. "My voice should be reaching you. You three have guided us to the light. I am grateful."

"What are you talking about?!" Ichigo demanded, as Ywhach pointed straight up at the sky.

"Thanks to you three, I can now invade the Soul King's Palace," Ywhach said shocking them.

"The clothes you were wearing... It is called the 'King's Key'... It is knitted and sewn from the Zero Division's Royal Guards bones and hairs. To forcefully penetrate the 72 layers of barriers between the Royal Palace and Seireitei, to protect you from friction, it is produced from nothing else. It has wonderful resistance, and magnificent defensive abilities. For a Soul Reaper, there is no better clothes. However, thanks to this tremendous defensive abilities, once you pass through 72 layers of barriers... THEY CANNOT BE CLOSED OFF FOR 6000 SECONDS!" Ywhach yelled at them, causing their eyes to widen, halting their attempted attack.

 **"Sister, Ichigo… is that who I think is?"** Altria asked as she had a serious look on her face.

 **"Yes...** **Uryū..."** Artoria said as she gritted her teeth.

"Uryū! What is the reas-" Ichigo asked, to which Uryu cut him off.

"Ichigo, leave. You too, Artoria, Altria." Uryū said, as he just stared at them.

 **"What are you talking about, Uryu?!"** Altria yelled at him.

"It is not within you three... to stop His Majesty," Uryū said. "Leave. Before you throw away your lives here."

 **"Just answer us,** **Uryū! What has made you to join him!?"** Artoria asked, as a bow appears in Uryū's hands followed by an arrow.

"Licht Regen!" He spoke, unleashing a rain of arrows at them, forcing Artoria to use Avalon to stop them, until a shield appears in front of them to back it up.

"Uryū..." Orihime spoke, having arrived with Chad recently, as they stared at him.

"Uryū, let's go. Have you said your goodbyes?" Ywhach asked, as Uryu nodded.

"Yes."

"This is the last chance you will ever have," Ywhach warned him.

"I know," Uryū replied.

"Uryū!" Ichigo yelled, as the three Quincies teleported away, leaving Ichigo and the other's minds filled with unanswered questions.

* * *

 **30 Minutes Later…  
Squad 12**

Ichigo and others were in Squad 12 waiting, as Urahara was working on a method for them to go to the Royal Palace. Most of the battles were over until Yhwach had left for Soul Palace with the help of Ichigo's knights. Tōshirō was about to be turned to a zombie, but the good thing was the knights saved him along with Rose, Kensei and Rangiku. Everyone were alive, and the injured were being treated, but there was still the matter of Komamura…

 **"When the hell did you have the time to make this?"** Altria asked, pulling a confused face as she stared up at the towering object.

An enormous cannon stood, floor to ceiling, in the middle of a ludicrously huge room, throwing a dark shadow over all of them.

"I think the real question is: How did I manage to get Mayuri's permission to build it in the basement of the 12th Division Headquarters?" Urahara chimed, breaking into a wide smile and tapping away at the control panel in front of him.

They nervously glanced towards the shop owner. "You mean, Mayuri doesn't know about this...?" Ichigo asked.

Breaking into a laugh, Urahara stopped typing for a brief moment. "I'm just kidding! He was the one who built this! After the arrival of the Royal Guard, he started working on this so he could one day collect samples from the Soul Palace. I'm just borrowing it… without his permission."

"Somehow I feel like that's worse..." Chad said hesitantly.

"Oh, it's fine," Urahara chuckled, brushing off the remark. "Though this thing is really only good for one shot so... No one tell him it was me who used it, okay?"

Ichigo, who was in the process of clambering into the side entrance to the cannon, froze up. "What do you mean it's only good for one shot?"

"Well, the techniques used by the Shiba Family to make cannons isn't something which can be copied at the drop of a hat," the former captain explained. "So please be gentle with it. It really is rather delicate."

 **"Um, are you sure this thing is safe?"** Artoria asked, visibly worried.

"Oh, it's fine!" Urahara said, brushing her off in a light hearted manner. "As long as it's able to fire, all's well that ends well. The real problem is that, as things stand, we don't have enough energy to fire it."

As Ichigo and his two companions climbed into the cannon and sat on the ground, there was a knock at the door. Akon poked his head around the frame.

"Um, excuse me?"

"Yyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss?" Urahara replied, playfully stretching out the word.

"She's arrived," Akon responded. "Do you want me to send her through?"

"Of course! Thank you, Akon!"

Stepping through the doorway, a dark-skinned woman clad in a skin-tight leotard and a long cloak entered the room.

"Welcome back, Yoruichi," Urahara said, peering from underneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, breaking into an amused expression.

"Yoruichi!" Ichigo cried, sticking his head out of the hole in the side of the cannon.

"It's been so long!" Orihime shouted in an excited manner, joining him.

Waving back at them, Yoruichi continued to smile.

"I take it you've got the goods?" Urahara suddenly asked.

Yoruichi's expression grew stern. Opening her cloak, she revealed several dozen bottles filled with a clear, glowing fluid.

Chad pulled a confused face. "What's that?"

"Before the Quincies attacked the Soul Society, they invaded and overtook Hueco Mundo," he explained. He ignored the shocked expression which gripped Ichigo's face and continued. "All of the Hollows and Arrancar who resisted them were killed. It was quite a hefty number... Because of this, the balance of souls in the universe began to distort and the dimensions began to slip and overlap. Temporal anomalies appeared in the World of the Living." Urahara turned towards Yoruichi. "When they appeared, a huge amount of energy was released. I had my good friend here gather that energy to power the cannon."

"Seems legit..." Ichigo muttered, a slightly simple look passing over his face.

"Before I launch you all in the sky, Ichigo, can you tell me who those knights in shining armor were, and where did they all disappeared?" Urahara asked, as all of them looked at him.

"That was one of my most powerful techniques. I can materialize them in real world like Artoria and Altria, but it is only for a while, and during that time I myself can't use my Shikai or Bankai. The flag I was carrying is something which makes it easier for me to focus on the army, and I can also use it as a sort of lance," he explained.

"Hmm, I see…" Urahara muttered. "Am I to presume this technique is mixed of all three sides of your power?"

 **"You know… you are way too intelligent for your own good."** Altria said in a deadpan voice, confirming his thoughts.

"Oh, it's nothing like that! I am just a handsome shopkeeper." Urahara said, hiding his face behind his fan. "So, are you all ready to go?"

Before they could reply, someone interrupted them.

"WAIT!" A voice suddenly shouted from the entrance to the lab. The doors swung open and slammed against the bordering walls, revealing a large man dressed in an extravagant green and yellow outfit. He sat astride an extremely rotund wild boar with a small pink now atop its head. "You're really tryin' to blast off without this handsome devil!?"

 **"Oh, dear God..."** Altria groaned, sticking her head out of the side of the cannon and breaking into an unreadable deadpan expression. **"I thought that voice sounded familiar. What the hell are you doing here? What, were you bored or something?"**

"What the hell are you talkin' about?!" Ganju Shiba shouted in reply. "This ain't somethin' you come to when you're bored! What, you think this is some drinkin' party or somethin'?" He pointed his huge sausage of a finger at Altria in a dramatic pose. "Who do you think launches the Great Heavenly Cannon in the first place!?"

Altria's face remained devoid of all emotion. **"Your sister."**

Ganju was flustered for a brief second, before he resumed shouting. "W-Well, yeah... B-But that's beside the point!" He whipped out a long ornate scroll and pulled it open. "Look! I'm the one with the map through the barriers to the Royal Palace! You ain't getting anywhere without me! How's that, huh?!"

Altria glanced sidelong at Urahara. **"Do we really have to take him with us...?"**

"Well, he does seem very enthusiastic about it," the former head of Research and Development replied simply.

Ichigo looked at Ganju for a second before he spoke. "You do understand how serious this is, Ganju?" He stared into his cousin's eyes and broke into a serious expression. "This won't be like anything we've seen before. It goes way beyond what we went through here last time..."

"Don't you think I don't know that, dumbass?!" Ganju shouted, in reply. He pointed his thumb back towards his face. "Why do you think I decided to come in the first place?!"

Ichigo broke into a smile and shifted over. "If you say so."

Urahara climbed out of the cannon, and Ganju dismounted off from Bonnie and climbed into the giant metal structure. The hole he entered through sealed up behind him.

As Urahara began the countdown, Orihime broke into a soft smile and looked around the group. "This really takes me back..." she said, softly. "That time, when we all went to save Rukia..." She looked over at Yoruichi and laughed ever so slightly. "You were still a cat back then."

"Hey, I can still transform whenever I want!" The playful retort came.

Orihime's face grew slightly sombre. "And Uryū was still with us..." She stared down at her lap. "I wonder... If he'll ever come back to us..."

"Of course he will."

Everyone turned to stare at Ichigo.

"We're going to beat Yhwach... And while we're at it, we're going to beat him too, and drag him back with us. That's what we all agreed, didn't we?"

Orihime broke into a wide smile. "Yeah!"

Urahara pressed a large button on the control panel in front of him. The cannon erupted, launching the group into the air.

* * *

 ** _Note: 1) Artoria Lancer's Flag in Fate/Grand Order in Stage 4._ **

* * *

**_Next Time: Yesterday's Friends and Yesterday's Enemies_**

 ** _See You All in The Next Time_**


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